Discovery
by Kamiyashi
Summary: Kaiba Corporation's recently opened Cosplay Cafe has a new star attraction that intrigues Kaiba. Prideshipping: KxYY
1. Chapter 01: Alerted

**Title: **_Discovery_

**Summary: **Kaiba Corporation's recently opened Cosplay Cafe has a new star attraction that intrigues Kaiba.

**Pairing:** Kaiba x Yami

**Rating**: M for graphic lemons, sexual content, and mature language.

**Disclaimer:** _Yu-Gi-Oh!_ does not and never has belonged to me.

* * *

**Chapter 01: Alerted**

Kaiba Seto was bored. Oh so painfully bored. His first meeting of the day was dragging on and it was beyond painful. He could only hope that his day would improve later, otherwise he was in for one hell of a shitty day.

Nakagawa Masahiro, senior vice president of Nakagawa Industries, offered as a toast, "Congratulations on the success of your latest venture!"

"The cosplay cafe, right? I can't keep my son out of the place! He's fallen for the girl who dresses as Mai," joked Uchihara Waki, president of a technology firm.

Kaiba nodded and said nothing, accepting the compliments with feigned interest. At least until he heard Nakagawa say, "My daughter is just as bad. She goes almost every day to see Yuugi."

"Just be thankful that it's a cafe and not a host club," Uchihara said with a boisterous laugh.

Kaiba laughed as well, although it was because of the image of a very awkward Yuugi trying to be a host. He had yet to visit the cafe since it opened last month, although he had carefully gone over all of the details before giving his approval. His current project had distracted him from his customary follow up, but he was already starting to think ahead on a new idea based on the cafe's success. The next logical step was having employees dress up as their favorite Duel Monsters and even though it was premature, Kaiba was considering ordering his secretary to pull the file for him to examine.

Nakagawa stated, "That hasn't stopped her from trying to pursue him, though."

The idea of anyone wanting to pursue Yuugi was laughable, but he said nothing as Nakagawa continued, "Apparently she's not the only one, either."

"My son has already lost one of his girlfriends over it! And she wasn't even dating the Yuugi cosplayer!" Uchihara exclaimed with a laugh that the others joined in on together.

That made one of Kaiba's eyebrows raise in surprise, although he couldn't figure out which was worse: having multiple women or losing one because of a Yuugi impersonator. He was suddenly curious to see what all the fuss was about. How could anyone with a resemblance to Yuugi cause such extreme reactions?

Nakagawa questioned, "It must be reassuring in light of the problems around your upcoming tournament, ne?"

Kaiba refused to show any reaction over the intentional low blow, so he simply smiled and reassured them, "Regardless of what rumors you might have heard, I'm confident that there will be no problems at this year's Grand Prix."

Uchihara said, "That's good to hear," although it was easy for Kaiba to hear his true feelings on the subject. "There were some people who thought that Kaiba Corporation was having a hard time finding other sponsors."

It led Nakagawa to ask, "Is it true that Mutou Yuugi isn't participating this year?"

Kaiba answered, "Nothing has been decided yet," although it pained him to admit it. He had just assumed that Yuugi would compete again this year, but he hadn't received confirmation one way or the other. After last year's fiasco with Siegfried, it was important to him to have a Kaiba Corporation Grand Prix that would make everyone forget the problems that had plagued the previous tournament. He didn't need Yuugi in order to succeed, but the boy was pure publicity of the best kind—not to mention great for securing additional funds. "But I trust I can count on the support of both your companies," Kaiba said with a confident smile over a well-played tactic.

"Of course," they both chimed in with wide smiles, seeing nothing buy dollar signs in their futures.

"And if you need any help with the cosplay cafe, just let me know," Uchihara suggested, knowing that the rewards would be worth any investment.

* * *

It had been one long day of mishap after mishap and Kaiba was starting to chafe under his collar. He needed a break and lunch was just the excuse he was looking forward to right now, but first he needed to touch base with one of his executives.

Leaving his office, Kaiba happened to overhear a female employee exclaiming, "Oh my god, I finally went last night!"

Another female employee gloated, "_Now_ do you understand?"

The first woman moaned, "It should be a crime to look like that!"

Pointing out with a laugh, "It technically _would_ be if it was the real Yuugi," the second woman was in good humor despite her point.

The first woman said, "Yeah, I was glad that this guy looks older. Otherwise I'd feel like a lecherous perv…"

Laughing again, the second woman countered, "You _are_ a lecherous perv. I just wonder what he looks like normally?"

"I wonder what he looks like naked!"

The second woman toasted with her coffee mug, "All I can say is god bless Kaiba Corporation's high standards."

The first woman said, "I know, right? Although you know who else looked pretty good…?"

Kaiba stopped paying attention as he diverted into a different hallway on his way to visit one of his executives. His curiosity was starting to get the better of him and he was tempted to pay the cafe a visit. Random inspections always kept employees on their toes and went a long way toward ensuring consistent quality. Besides, it was almost lunchtime and Kaiba didn't have any meetings until later in the afternoon.

Decision made, Kaiba put the thought from his mind and focused on his task at hand.

* * *

**A/N: **I know this one is off to a little bit of a slow start, but it's necessary for setting up everything. So pleased hang in there with me and I promise it'll be a fun ride.

**NEXT CHAPTER:**

_It all suddenly made sense to Kaiba and he could have kicked himself for not realizing it earlier._

The next update will be on **Sunday, May 19th**, but in the meantime I would love to hear your thoughts on the new story.


	2. Chapter 02: Unexpected

**Chapter 02: Unexpected**

Entering the cafe, Kaiba was pleased to see a Vivian Wong cosplayer at the front of house; the quality of the costume pleased him.

"Kaiba-sama, welcome!" the Vivian Wong cosplayer greeted Kaiba. "Shall I take you to see the assistant manager? Manager is on lunch, but we could call her back for you, sir."

"No need, just a table is fine," Kaiba told her, knowing that he could talk to the manager later if need be.

"Do you have a preference for servers, Kaiba-sama?" the Vivian Wong cosplayer asked. "Mai-san and Rebecca-san are on duty for the lunch crowd. Yuugi-san is also available if you would like."

"He'll be fine," Kaiba told her and was immediately led to the back of the restaurant.

"I'll send him over, but in the meantime, here's the menu," she said with a pleasant smile as she handed it to him. "Please enjoy your stay and let me or Yuugi-san know if there's anything we can do for you!"

Nodding in acknowledgement, Kaiba proceeded to examine the menu carefully. He was pleased to find that his instructions had been executed properly, down to the way the outside of the menu resembled the back of a Duel Monsters card, while the inside text was positioned within the boundaries of the card's surface. He continued inspecting it to see if any improvements could be made, so he barely noticed the approach of his waiter.

"Good afternoon and welcome to the—_Kaiba_?!"

It all suddenly made sense to Kaiba and he could have kicked himself for not realizing it earlier. Setting aside the menu, Kaiba stared up into those crimson eyes and smirked, enjoying the sight of a stunned Yami. "So this is what you've been up to?" Kaiba questioned.

"Ah," Yami answered, having somewhat regained his composure. He wasn't sure why he was so surprised to see Kaiba, but it had caught him off guard. "But why are you here?"

"I do _own_ the place," Kaiba reminded him arrogantly, "and eventually I'd like to get some coffee." He had been surprised to see Yami as well, but for entirely different reasons; he could think about that later.

"Sorry," Yami apologized as he refocused himself. "What kind would you like?"

"Surprise me."

"I already did," Yami countered with a smirk of his own.

There was no malice in Kaiba's tone as he replied, "Smartass," with a short laugh.

Yami knew that he could be in for a lecture about his unprofessional behavior as soon as Kaiba left, so he tried to maintain professional decorum. "Anything is fine?"

"Sure."

Holding the menu up for Yami to take it, he said, "Thanks, _Yuugi_," with an extra emphasis on the name, smirking at the restrained reaction.

Accepting the menu and entering the order into his digital pad, Yami imitated Yuugi's softer voice as he replied, "You're welcome, Kaiba-_kun_," using the term his aibou always attached.

"Hn," Kaiba scoffed, but there was the slightest hint of a smile on his face.

"I'll bring it out when it's ready," Yami told him before walking away.

As he waited, Kaiba tried to remember when was the last time he had seen Yami. It had been several months at the very least, which had been fine with Kaiba. After all, there was no reason for him to associate with Yami or the Yuugi-tachi anymore. He knew that Mokuba still visited with them frequently since they were all in the same school now, but that had nothing to do with Kaiba ever since he had all but stopped going to school.

It was difficult for him to be around Yami, since his existence was based on an impossibility that made Kaiba highly uncomfortable. Yami defied not only natural laws, but reason as well and Kaiba didn't like acknowledging any of it. What frustrated him more was the fact that he had seen the division of souls into two separate bodies with his own eyes and Kaiba would look foolish if he continued to insist that Yami wasn't real. That didn't mean he had to like it, though.

Of course that wasn't the only reason that Kaiba had kept his distance. He knew that everything had started long before that fateful duel, although Kaiba was clueless as to what exactly that "everything," actually _was_. All Kaiba knew was that when everyone else was cheering Yuugi on that day, he had caught himself wanting Yami to win and it had startled him. There was no reason for it and yet it had happened. But more than that, it was what he had felt after Yami's victory that had shocked him the most. The fact that he had experienced any emotion over it at all was ridiculous, but the sheer _relief _he had felt at that win, at seeing Yami's body miraculously remaining, it had been completely unexpected. He had tried to convince himself that it was because it meant that he would still have the opportunity to finally defeat Yami, but Kaiba knew that was a lie. The problem was, Kaiba didn't know what the truth was anymore.

It hadn't been hard to limit his interactions with Yami; the former spirit didn't attend school and Kaiba had essentially quit going anyway. That left very few chances for meeting and Kaiba had been fine with that. Because every time he saw Yami, he always remembered the look Yami had given him in the tomb at that time. Almost a year had passed between then and now, but Kaiba still had no words to describe what that expression had meant or the way it had made him feel.

Even now, Kaiba could still vividly recall the way Yami had walked over and stood before him, the proud way he had stared up at him with those beautiful crimson eyes. And yet there had been so much more to it; at the time, he had felt like Yami had been searching his gaze for some answer, but Kaiba was clueless as to whether or not he had found it. The moment had been intense and had caused all sorts of unknown things to stir inside of him, but everything had stopped the instant Yami had hesitantly raised his hand to touch Kaiba's cheek. Something was said silently in that lingering touch, but Kaiba had no clue as to what that was. Yami's small smile had been burned into Kaiba's memory, but he rarely reflected on it. Even at that time, all Kaiba could think of was that he never knew that the touch of another could be so warm and he had silently mourned the absence of it when Yami finally stepped away. It had haunted him in a way that few things ever had before and it made Kaiba uncomfortable because it was always worse at night.

Kaiba's thoughts were interrupted when Yami gently placed the coffee on the table. In his distraction, Kaiba found himself noticing Yami's long and slender fingers as they pulled away from the cup. How many times had he been defeated by those hands? And how many times had he remembered that warmth that was solid proof not only of Yami's existence, but his own as well? Why couldn't he forget the way that touch had felt, had made him feel?

"Kaiba?"

It was for that shameful reason that he had primarily avoided Yami. Sometimes Kaiba felt like Yami was seeing right through the walls that he had spent years perfecting and it unnerved him. Even if he ignored the bullshit past life bullshit connection, Kaiba still didn't understand why Yami could read him so well. It was easy to want to give in to that and the mere fact that Kaiba wanted to see Yami had been enough to keep him away. And yet, despite the forced distance Kaiba had created, Yami still looked at him with genuine concern. "What?" Kaiba asked rather icily, bristling more from his internal thoughts than Yami's presence.

"Can I get you anything else?"

It annoyed Kaiba that Yami knew better than to ask, "Are you okay?" But that question still lingered in those scarlet eyes that never failed to make some part of Kaiba respond; that pull was always there, tugging at his very soul sometimes. Sometimes Kaiba thought that things would be easier to deal with if he could name the emotions that he was plagued by, but he knew that it would probably make things worse.

"No," Kaiba finally answered, his tone lacking the irritation he had meant to convey.

"Let me know if you change your mind," Yami told Kaiba before he left to go to another one of the tables in his section.

Kaiba Seto did not change his mind and he resented the fact that his traitorous thoughts kept supplying alternative answers to Yami's question.

The coffee was still too hot to drink, so Kaiba held the small mug in his hands, enjoying the warmth it provided. He had brought work to do, but Kaiba strangely didn't feel like pulling it out quite yet; he was too distracted by his inadvertent observations of Yami imitating Yuugi. It was strange for Kaiba to see and he couldn't help but notice the differences between the two. The differences went beyond just the mere physical things—it was the way in which Yami moved. He possessed a confidence that Yuugi lacked, had a natural grace that lent fluidity to his movements. It was a curious thing that someone with such a calm demeanor could quickly turn into a fierce competitor with just the shuffling of his deck. Yami's dueling style hadn't changed, but now that he was no longer hidden behind Yuugi's violet eyes, the feeling of facing off against him had changed.

Kaiba had only fought against Yami once since the incident in Egypt. When he had stepped onto the dueling platform, Kaiba had only thought of victory, of finally defeating his only worthy rival. All of that changed when the duel finally started and Kaiba could tell that something was different. There was something invigorating about the challenging crimson gaze, something that moved Kaiba beyond the duel. It had been unexpected and mildly distracting, but there was no denying that the battle was unlike any they had engaged in before.

The duel made Kaiba feel things that he hadn't even known he was capable of and it was only afterward that he realized how strange his reactions had been. He had completely gotten caught up in their fight and nothing else had existed in that time except for Yami and the moment they were sharing. Kaiba had felt so alive that it nearly overwhelmed him; Kaiba Seto was not supposed to feel such emotions. He had limited himself to anger and hatred because they were productive if channeled properly, but out of all the things he had felt during that duel, neither of those had been present; they only came after the fact. Even then, Kaiba didn't know whether his anger and hatred should be aimed at Yami for causing it or at himself for allowing it to happen. It was frustrating to Kaiba and he had removed himself from the situation to solve the problem, but the feelings still lingered months afterward.

Since then, there had been a few times when Kaiba had wanted to challenge Yami again in an attempt to figure out what had happened between them, but he had never given in to his desire. There was an element of danger to it and a feeling that he might discover something that would best be left alone; it didn't feel like cowardice as much as it did self-preservation.

Kaiba cautiously sipped at the still steaming coffee and was surprised by the taste of it. There was a hint of spice that was pleasing without being overpowering and it warmed Kaiba in a way that had nothing to do with the temperature. It was entirely new and yet somehow familiar at the same time; there was something vaguely comforting in the experience and he found himself slowly starting to relax.

Glancing over the edge of the cup as he took another cautious sip, he was startled to catch Yami watching him with a soft smile that made Kaiba feel strange. He was spared from thinking about it when Yami's customer distracted his attention. Kaiba hated being thrown off of his pace and no one other than Yami had ever managed to do it so consistently—or at all.

Yami's section was pretty packed, so he didn't have much time to come check back on Kaiba. Rather than feeling irritated, Kaiba felt a small sense of relief at not having to interact with him so much. It still felt awkward to be around the former spirit, although Kaiba did his best to project indifference toward Yami. Still, something was nagging at Kaiba and he couldn't quite place his finger on it.

Finally Yami swung back around to ask, "Everything good?"

"Sure," Kaiba replied, twisting his nearly empty coffee cup in his hands.

"I'm glad," Yami said with a bright smile that made something in Kaiba respond. "Anything else?"

Glancing at his watch, Kaiba was shocked at how much time had passed; he hadn't realized he had been so lost in his thoughts for so long. "No, I need to get back to the office," Kaiba declined. "My check?"

"As you own this place, it would be unseemly to charge you," Yami informed Kaiba, having already checked with his boss who had returned from her break.

"Yet another perk of being the president," Kaiba jested with a smug smirk that made Yami laugh.

"I suppose so," Yami agreed. "Well, it was nice seeing you, Kaiba."

Arching an eyebrow, Kaiba didn't know what to say to that. His silence made Yami chuckle, causing Kaiba to arch his other eyebrow. "What?" Kaiba asked.

"Nothing," Yami answered, waving it away. "I'll see you later, hopefully."

_Hopefully?_ Kaiba repeated in his mind with surprise. Before he could say anything further, Yami was hailed by another one of his tables. With a final wave, Yami walked away and left Kaiba alone.

Gathering his things, Kaiba left the restaurant and started heading back to his office. It was only halfway there that he realized he had completely forgotten to order lunch. Yami had thrown him so far off his game that he had literally forgotten the whole reason he went to the Duel Monsters Cafe. That was unacceptable in Kaiba's opinion, but it was too late to change it now.

* * *

Returning to work, Kaiba still couldn't shake the feelings plaguing him after his unexpected meeting with Yami. Something was bothering Kaiba about seeing Yami, but he couldn't quite place what it was. There was just something fundamentally wrong with seeing Yami pretending to be Yuugi now that he had the freedom of his own body. It seemed like a step backwards in the wrong direction and Kaiba was annoyed with himself for being bothered by it, by something that shouldn't have affected him in the least.

Putting aside his personal issue with Yami, Kaiba was inordinately pleased with how the Duel Monsters Cafe had turned out ultimately. The cosplayers were top notch, the food was fantastic, and Kaiba felt a sense of pride in his latest accomplishment. But he still couldn't shake the feelings stirred up by Yami. It was frustrating and Kaiba did his best to put it from his mind. He had plenty of other things to worry about than a materialized spirit.

Straightening his tie as he sat down at his desk once more, Kaiba focused on the workday ahead of him.

* * *

**A/N:** Since I forgot to mention it last chapter and there's been some confusion, this story is based off of anime canon, although it diverts a bit from the ending as you just saw. Also, as a side note, you don't tip at restaurant in Japan, so Kaiba's not being a dick by not leaving Yami anything.

**NEXT CHAPTER:**

_What the hell did I just get myself into? Kaiba wondered as he watched Yami disappear into the back kitchen._

The next update will go up on **Sunday, June 2nd**, so please keep an eye out for it! Until then, I look forward to your thoughts on this chapter!


	3. Chapter 03: Returning

**Chapter 03: Returning**

It had been days since his visit to the cafe and Kaiba was still plagued by feelings and thoughts that all connected back to Yami. It was downright infuriating to Kaiba who was going out of his mind trying to stop the abnormal behavior, but to no avail.

It's what drove him back to the Duel Monsters Cafe a week later, needing to find some sort of closure on the issue so that he could move on from it.

"Welcome back, Kaiba-sama," the Viviane Wong cosplayer greeted him, earning her a perfunctory nod. "Would you like Yuugi-kun again or would you perhaps like to try Jounouchi-kun today?"

Kaiba knew that he should say Jounouchi, but his mouth disobeyed him by saying, "Yuugi will be fine." It made Kaiba want to bash his head into the nearest wall, but he stood silently instead, secretly fuming at his choice, even though that was the whole reason he was there at the cafe. Trying to console himself that he would find the cosplaying Jounouchi as annoying as the real one was of little use.

Nodding, the hostess said, "Understood. This way if you would please, sir," as she led the way to Yami's section.

Silently following, Kaiba said nothing further as he sat down and looked over the menu once more. He was so intently focused on it that he was startled when he heard a mildly amused voice greet him, "Welcome back, Kaiba-kun."

"Yuugi," Kaiba returned, even though it gave him a sense of wrongness to do so.

"And how may I help you today?"

_By not working here anymore_, Kaiba thought, but said nothing of the sort. Instead he asked, "What's the most popular meal here?"

Thinking it over for a moment, Yami finally answered, "The Graceful Dice onigiri are pretty popular."

"I'll have that, then," Kaiba decided.

"Okay," Yami acknowledged as he entered the order into his digital pad. "Anything else?"

Hesitating a moment, Kaiba finally added, "Coffee."

"Regular or the way that I make it?" Yami impishly asked, alerting Kaiba to the fact that the drink he enjoyed so much last time had been a custom made order.

Hoping his cheeks didn't flush with the embarrassment that he felt, Kaiba ordered, "The way you make it, thanks."

"Got it. I'll bring it out as soon as it's ready," Yami told him as he accepted the menu with a bow before leaving.

Kaiba couldn't stop himself from watching Yami walk away from him. Somewhere in his mind, it begrudgingly admired the grace with which Yami moved, so different from the clumsy way Yuugi bumbled through life.

He was drawn from his thoughts by the sounds of girls giggling to his right and it caused him to scowl in displeasure, even though some part of him was relieved by the distraction from thoughts best alone. "Ne, ne, see what I said?" one of the girls prompted the other. "He's so hot!"

The flush in the second girl's cheeks bespoke of her own interest and Kaiba watched with disinterest as the blush deepened when Yami approached their table and greeted them with a smooth, "Welcome back, ladies," that Yuugi never could have managed.

"T-thanks," the first girl stuttered before giggling once more.

_So they find him attractive_, Kaiba mused as he remembered the interactions of his female employees the other day. He looked over Yami critically, assessing his form. No one would ever accuse Yuugi of being handsome, but Yami was taller, more graceful, and certainly more exotic with his tanner skin and unusual red eyes. He had a certain charm, although Kaiba considered himself immune to it. He was certainly more attractive than the Jounouchi cosplayer Kaiba had seen wandering around earlier, that was an undeniable fact. It made Kaiba wonder why Yami didn't model or do something more interesting with his looks and talents than work in a cosplay cafe.

"Did you need something?" Yami asked as he suddenly appeared in front of Kaiba.

"What makes you think that I need something?" Kaiba blustered, feeling almost guilty that he had been caught staring.

"You were watching me rather…_intently_," Yami answered with a barely concealed smile.

"They think that you're attractive," Kaiba stated, as if that explained everything.

"And you were what, seeing if they were right?" Yami incredulously asked with a laugh. When Kaiba said nothing, Yami's eyes went wide in a good impression of his aibou. "You _were_!"

"I don't like not understanding things," Kaiba haughtily defended himself.

"And your conclusion?" Yami playfully asked, doubting he'd get an answer.

"You could do better than working here as Yuugi," Kaiba truthfully replied, although he didn't know _why_ he had confessed such a thing. He blamed it on Yami for constantly keeping him off his pace.

Unable to hide his grin, Yami had to know, "Did you just indirectly compliment me?"

"Try not to let it go to your head," Kaiba snidely remarked, once again hoping his cheeks weren't betraying him. "And where's my damn coffee?"

"Coming right up," Yami promised before walking away with a shake of his head over what had just happened.

Hoping that what had just happened wasn't as embarrassing as it felt, Kaiba looked over at the girls once more and caught them looking at him. Scowling at them in displeasure, they were quick to advert their eyes. It wasn't a mystery to Kaiba why they had been looking over his way. There was a reason he had made "Domino's Hottest Under 25" list for the last three years in a row and it wasn't just the incredible power he wielded at Kaiba Corporation.

"Enjoy," Yami told Kaiba as he set down the coffee in front of Kaiba. "Your food should be out shortly."

"Thanks," Kaiba said, although he could irritably still sense Yami's amusement over their previous conversation.

"I'll be back soon," Yami promised before leaving to head back over to the girls' table.

Kaiba hated how Yami always seemed to throw him off his pace. It was just so infuriating to constantly be thrown off kilter by a single person who never should have mattered. Why was so much of his life tied up in the existence of one impossible person? It just made no damn sense and he was tired of it.

He couldn't stop his eyes from straying over to the girls' table once more and watching them melt under the attention from Yami. He wasn't even being particularly flirtatious, but they were eating up all the attention. It was strange to Kaiba, even though he was no stranger to having women do the same under his own attentions. He always thought that it was so pathetic, the way they would fawn all over him and it quickly grew tiresome. Kaiba had no patience for sycophantic women who were after nothing but his money; he had seen enough of that under his days of Gozaburo. There was no reason for him to put up with it unless it was advantageous to business. It was also one of those things he knew was going to get worse with age as he got older. It wasn't something he was looking forward to in the future, but that was the problem of good looks and power, an attractive combination to many.

Despite his best efforts, his eyes followed Yami as he made his circuit around his various tables and Kaiba was more than a little surprised to see a man having a similar reaction to the girls. It wasn't that he had a problem with it, Kaiba just hadn't expected it to be so obvious.

Finally Yami arrived with his food, carefully setting it down in front of Kaiba. "Will that be all?" he inquired, tilting his head in mock imitation of Yuugi.

"For now," Kaiba told him, eager to try the food and see if it was up to the high standards of a Kaiba Corporation product. He had been too distracted the previous week to remember to order food, which was a shameful oversight.

"Okay, I'll leave you to it, then," Yami said as he left with another respectful bow.

Kaiba waited until Yami was gone to try his food. He was pleased to find it was delicious and he could see why it was one of their most popular dishes. It made him happy to see the level of quality control at a Kaiba Corporation subsidiary. Although he realized in hindsight that he probably should have ordered the least popular dish to see what was wrong with it. _Next time_, he told himself as he continued to enjoy his lunch. Sometimes it was just nice to get out of the office for a bit, as much as he enjoyed his work. Plus it was a good opportunity for research, which was always a bonus, he loved multitasking. Really, the only downside was Yami's presence.

Still, his mind wouldn't stop returning to Yami. Kaiba blamed it on the fact that the person in question was standing right in front of him. He ached with a need to duel against Yami, to feel the thrill of a real challenge once more. Things were boring now and it had been far too long since Kaiba had felt the sense of aliveness. No one inspired that in him more than Yami and Kaiba resented his rival for it. However, it wasn't as if could just randomly ask his rival to a duel. That would require them meeting after hours and that seemed like a bad idea to Kaiba. There were far too many unknown variables that could complicate things further than they already were.

Although how much of that complication was solely on Kaiba's end was unknown. He didn't know how his rival regarded him and that was part of the problem. At one point Yami had proposed that they be friends, but the very idea of it was preposterous to Kaiba. He didn't _need_ friends, especially not in the impossible form of his number one rival. The very idea of it was laughable to Kaiba. There was no way in hell that he was signing up for the friendship brigade and dealing with all the unseemly attachments that came with it.

"How is it?" Yami asked when he came over to check on Kaiba.

"I can see why it's so popular," Kaiba stated, not uncomfortable with praising his own product.

"It is pretty good, although I prefer the Red Eyes Black Dragon Pasta, personally," Yami told Kaiba.

Mentally adding it to the list of foods to try, Kaiba asked, "Is there anything else you would recommend?"

Surprised that his opinion wasn't being outright dismissed, Yami added, "Magical Hats is also pretty good."

"I'll consider them for next time," Kaiba decided, although he still thought he should try ordering an underperforming dish and see if it needed to be taken off the menu; he would not accept substandard products.

Yami found it interesting that it meant Kaiba intended to come back and wondered if that meant he would sit in his section again. He was enjoying the rare glimpses of Kaiba that he would otherwise be denied. Yami missed being around his rival and missed playing against him even more. But it wasn't as if he could just randomly invite Kaiba to fight against him. He got the impression after their last fight, that sort of invitation would be unwelcomed. Still, Yami couldn't help but want to face off against his rival once more. As much as he liked Jounouchi, he just wasn't a proper challenge like Kaiba.

"What?" Kaiba asked when Yami got quiet while looking down at him.

"Nothing," Yami reassured him with a smile. "Just thinking."

"About what?" Kaiba prompted, before immediately regretting it.

Deciding to answer truthfully and hope for the best, Yami answered, "About how much I want to duel you again."

Eyes going wide in surprise, Kaiba couldn't help himself from arrogantly countering, "Why, are you that eager to lose to me?"

Smirking at the bravado, Yami retorted, "You can say that to me _after_ you've actually beaten me for once."

"I _will_ defeat you," Kaiba swore, knowing he would never rest until he had.

"When?"

Even though a small part of his mind was warning him this was a bad idea, Kaiba's urge to face off against Yami was to strong to deny when directly challenged. Pulling out phone and checking his schedule, Kaiba flipped through his obligations and frowned when he saw how booked up he was for the next few weeks with tournament planning and meetings on the newest model of a Duel Disk. "I'll have to get back to you on that," Kaiba said with a sense of disappointment in his voice. "Right now is a little…hectic."

"Must be hard being president," Yami commented with sympathy. "Just let me know. My schedule is pretty free when I'm not working here or at the Game Shop."

"You work two jobs?" Kaiba accidentally asked, annoyed with himself for doing so.

"Only sometimes when Jii-chan needs the help so he can go to a doctor's appointment or something," Yami explained, surprised at the civility of their conversation. "It's nice to have the extra pocket money sometimes."

"Ah," Kaiba commented, but didn't know what else to say.

"But I'm usually free," Yami reassured him. "Whenever is best for you works for me."

Nodding, Kaiba said nothing further. It let Yami to ask, "Would you like some more coffee?"

"Please," Kaiba civilly answered.

"I'll be back shortly," Yami told him before walking away with a certain lightness in his step.

_What the hell did I just get myself into?_ Kaiba wondered as he watched Yami disappear into the back kitchen. He hadn't meant to agree, but backing down wasn't an option, either. Not when he knew his rival _wanted_ to duel him again. It had been far too long and Kaiba longed for the chance to fight against Yami again. It bothered him to have to put it off for so long, but Kaiba's reality was filled with long hours of work that left no time for play. He'd find a way to make time, even if it was only so he didn't look like he was running away.

When Yami returned with the coffee, Kaiba found himself asking, "Would you consider competing in my upcoming tournament?"

"I really shouldn't," Yami said with a frown, "because aibou will be there and the similarities between us would inevitably cause problems."

"Is he even competing this year?" Kaiba asked, feeling slightly underhanded for getting his answer in such a way.

"He should be," Yami confirmed, which was a relief to Kaiba. "I'd rather not fight against aibou, though."

"You should join," Kaiba encouraged, knowing it would be great for ratings and publicity.

"I'll consider it," Yami promised, but offered no further commitment.

"Then that's all I can ask," Kaiba said, even though he was displeased he didn't have a concrete answer. "Thanks for the coffee."

Smiling brightly and looking very much like Yuugi, Yami said, "You're welcome. I'll clear away your plate if you're finished."

"Thanks," Kaiba said as Yami took his nearly empty plate and disappeared to the back once more.

Yami reappeared shortly after and stated, "I don't suppose you want dessert."

"No, I've got to get back to the office," Kaiba refused, although he recognized he should probably try one of the desserts at some point. "Thanks, though."

"No problem," Yami informally said to sound more like his aibou. "Let me know about our duel."

"Will do," Kaiba agreed with a mounting sense of anticipation.

"I'll see you next time, Kaiba," Yami said in farewell, knowing the man would most likely be gone by the time he came back from the kitchen.

Nodding in acknowledgement, Kaiba left as soon as he finished his coffee and he was overly aware of the girls watching him leaving. Putting them out of his mind, Kaiba returned to the office full and with a new purpose.

* * *

**A/N:** I must give a special thanks to my dear Death-God-777 for helping me come up with names for the dishes at the Duel Monsters Cafe. Her familiarity with the cards helped me in a bind and I'm grateful to her for always being there for me.

**NEXT CHAPTER:**

"_You can't possibly be serious," Yami said in disbelief. "Why would you help me with something like that?"_

Whatever could that be? Fufufufu. You'll find out when I post the next chapter on **Sunday, June 16th. **Having said that, it will probably go up late since it's Father's Day and I'll be spending time with my family. Feel free to check my Twitter for updates on the posting schedule. Until then, I look forward to your thoughts on this chapter!


	4. Chapter 04: Continued Interest

**Chapter 04: Continued Interest**

Once again seated in Yami's section, Kaiba was annoyed with himself at his new habit. He really should try a different duelist's section, but there were too many benefits of being in Yami's presence to give up for such an arbitrary reason. The section was quite full today and Kaiba wondered if they'd have time to talk today.

"Welcome back, Kaiba," Yami greeted him with a smile that made something deep inside of Kaiba move. "What can I do for you today?"

"Agree to be in my tournament and bring me the least popular dish," Kaiba promptly answered.

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea," Yami said in regards to the tournament. "My fight against aibou would bring some unwanted attention."

"Since when has it been unwanted attention?" Kaiba scoffed, knowing that Yami loved that sort of attention.

Lowering his voice as he leaned closer, Yami confessed, "I don't exactly have the paperwork to prove I exist."

_That's because you shouldn't_, Kaiba thought to himself, but said nothing on the subject. "So how did you get a job here?" Kaiba asked, curious despite himself.

"I may have faked some paperwork," Yami replied in a hushed tone. "Thankfully I looked so much like aibou that they weren't willing to question it."

Frowning at the dilemma, Kaiba asked, "And if I could make that problem go away?" The more he had thought about it over the past week, the more he really wanted Yami to compete in his tournament and he was willing to do whatever it took to get him to agree.

"I'd be grateful, but confused about your connections," Yami teased, not thinking Kaiba was serious.

Spreading his hands before him, Kaiba merely said, "I _am_ a powerful man, after all."

"Yes," Yami agreed, "but does your power extend to that area?"

"It can, if I have a need for it," Kaiba cryptically answered, knowing some shady people who had proven useful in the past and owed him favors.

"Still," Yami insisted, "I don't think it would be a good idea."

"Refusing my exclusive invitation is a much worse one," Kaiba warned, causing Yami to laugh.

Reigning in his amusement, Yami agreed, "I suppose so. I'll keep thinking it over," and straightened up once more. "I'll be back with your coffee."

Even though he had forgotten to order it, Kaiba didn't correct him on it. Instead he settled for, "Thanks," and left it at that. Watching as Yami left, Kaiba reflected on what had just happened. He had been serious about procuring documents to validate Yami's existence. It was too dangerous not to have evidence of his identity, as impossible as it was to believe that he could live at all. Besides, having Yami be in his debt was exceedingly attractive for some reason. He probably should have questioned it, but Kaiba left the thought alone; it was for the best.

When Yami returned with the coffee, Kaiba told him, "Have six passport photos ready the next time I'm here and bring me a copy of the paperwork you provided them with."

"You can't possibly be serious," Yami said in disbelief. "Why would you help me with something like that?"

"Because I'm the only person you know who can," Kaiba replied, as if it were as simple as that.

"I-I don't know what to say," Yami stumbled over his words in shock.

"I believe a thanks is customary," Kaiba sarcastically supplied.

"I mean, yes, but—"

Interrupting Yami, Kaiba said, "That doesn't sound like gratitude."

Shutting his mouth, Yami finally settled for a formal, "Thank you, Kaiba. I'll have them for next time."

"Good," Kaiba decided.

Thinking he was nuts, Kaiba wondered why he was pushing so hard to make sure Yami had official paperwork. It had to be for more than just getting him to agree to be in the tournament, but Kaiba didn't understand his own motivation. It was a disquieting feeling and Kaiba wanted to push it away into a dark place where he wouldn't have to reflect on it anymore. But the feeling wouldn't quiet down; it wanted acknowledgement.

He was mercifully spared when Yami arrived with his food. "Enjoy," Yami told him as he set the plate down in front of Kaiba.

"Mm," was the only acknowledgement that Kaiba offered as Yami quickly made himself scarce to go check on the other tables in his section.

Beginning to eat, Kaiba was surprised to find that the dish was quite good, although if he had a criticism, it might be to add a touch more salt. It wasn't enough to make it a bad dish, though it was more a matter of personal taste. He wondered if the unusual ingredient of swordfish was responsible for the lack of sales.

"How is it?" Yami inquired when he stopped back by to check on Kaiba.

"Not bad enough to be the worst seller," Kaiba replied, pausing in his eating.

Nodding in agreement, Yami said, "I have to agree."

"Strange," Kaiba absentmindedly commented, musing on the subject further.

"I'll leave you to it, then," Yami said before stepping away and leaving Kaiba alone with his thoughts once more.

Finishing the meal, Kaiba checked his watch and saw he still had a lot of time left before he had to return to the office. He decided to pull out his paperwork from his briefcase and review the latest contract while enjoying the remains of his coffee. He hated how he was quickly becoming addicted to the unique spices that Yami added; all other coffees were starting to pale in comparison and that was unacceptable. What was it that he added that made it so damn good?

He was surprised when a fresh cup appeared without a word and he waited for it to cool off before drinking it. At least it seemed work was a good way to take his mind off of his rival; there was hope for him yet.

Making a few more corrections to the contract, Kaiba started to wrap it up so he could return to the office. He was startled when Yami reappeared and asked, "Leaving so soon?"

"It _is_ called a lunch _hour_," Kaiba dryly retorted as he continued to pack up his things.

Grinning at the answer, Yami conceded, "I suppose so."

"What's that look for?" Kaiba demanded when Yami continued smiling down at him.

Shrugging, Yami truthfully answered, "It's interesting watching you work. You're as intense with it as you are when you duel."

Unsure how he was supposed to take the comment, Kaiba settled for, "Of course I am. But what were you doing watching me?"

"Turn about is fair play," Yami reminded him with a smile, fully aware of the way Kaiba inadvertently watched him as he made his rounds.

Flushing slightly at the comment, Kaiba defended himself, "It's purely professional."

"Uh huh," Yami said, sounding as if he didn't believe Kaiba in the least.

"Hn," Kaiba dismissively snorted, not needing to justify himself to anyone, let alone Yami. He did make a mental not to _try_ and watch him less, or at the very least, be less obvious about it.

"That wasn't a complaint," Yami teased with a wink. "You're free to look all you want."

Arching an eyebrow at the flirtatious comment, Kaiba accidentally asked, "Am I now?"

"Just saying," Yami commented with another grin that made something in Kaiba move in response. He was getting annoyed with his body's weird reactions, but he didn't know how to stop them.

Needing to leave before he embarrassed himself further, Kaiba primly reminded Yami, "Remember what I said," as he stood up from the table.

"Only if you promise to give me a date for our duel," Yami bargained.

"Agree to be in my tournament and we'll see," Kaiba countered, ever the businessman.

Tilting his head, Yami asked, "Why do you want me to participate so badly?"

"Having a new King of Games would be great for ratings," Kaiba answered with a wolfish grin, confident that Yami would easy defeat Yuugi.

"Is that all?" Yami asked, knowing it had to be more than that.

"What other reason do you need?"

"The truth," Yami told him, pinning Kaiba under his intense gaze.

For a moment it was hard to breathe, hard to think being so close to intense crimson, but Kaiba quickly forced himself to recover. "It isn't a lie," Kaiba haughtily defended himself.

"It's not the whole truth, either," Yami countered as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Regardless," Kaiba said, becoming aware of the growing whispers around them, "I want you to register for my tournament. Now, if you'll excuse me…"

Bowing in acknowledgement, Yami said, "Of course. Until next time."

"Mm," was all Kaiba could say before turning and leaving, hating that he knew he would inevitably be back in Yami's section.

* * *

**A/N:** Not much to add here except yay for an early update!

**NEXT CHAPTER:**

_Frowning at the brush off, Kaiba wondered what wasn't being said. It left him with a bad feeling and he didn't like it in the least._

The next update will be on **Sunday, June 30th**, but until then I welcome your reviews on this chapter!


	5. Chapter 05: Wondering

**Chapter 05: Wondering**

Feeling self-conscious as he was once again led to Yami's section, Kaiba couldn't help but wonder what the hostess thought of him constantly requesting the same person on weekly basis. It made him wonder if there were rumors—although there were always rumors following him. It led him to question what Yami thought of it, but that was a thought best left alone. He tried to console himself that once he had everything he wanted, he could stop coming—or at least try another duelist's section. But that seemed like weak reasoning, even to him.

"Welcome back, Kaiba," Yami warmly greeted him when he approached.

The response stirred something in Kaiba, but he ignored it as he asked, "Do you have what I asked for?"

"It's in the back room, but I'll bring it out with your coffee," Yami answered. "Although I still think…well, I don't even know what to think."

"Reflect on my power," arrogantly commented, earning him a laugh.

"I suppose that's one response," Yami agreed, still amused by the arrogance that others found so off-putting. "Even if you're just doing it so I'll enter your tournament."

It was odd to Kaiba that something deep inside of him whispered that it wasn't only for that reason, but he shushed it. "Speaking of which, are you entering?"

"I still need to talk it over with aibou," Yami said, the closest to relenting he sounded yet.

"And you haven't done this before, why?" Kaiba demanded in disgust. "It's been weeks!"

"You're asking a lot of me," Yami said with a sigh. "More than maybe you even realize."

"Meaning?"

"It's complicated," Yami finally replied, although it was an unsatisfactory answer.

"How?" Kaiba pressed, still not understanding.

Shrugging, Yami lamely said, "It just is," and left it at that. "I'll be back with your coffee in a moment."

Frowning at the brush off, Kaiba wondered what wasn't being said. It left him with a bad feeling and he didn't like it in the least.

Yami returned with the coffee and discreetly handed Kaiba his photos. "Thank you," Yami quietly said as Kaiba put them away in his briefcase.

"You're welcome," Kaiba replied. "They should be ready in a week or so."

"That fast?" Yami asked in surprise.

"My guy is good," Kaiba explained before adding, "the best, in fact."

Hesitating a moment, Yami opened his mouth to speak before shutting it again. It caused Kaiba to prompt, "What?"

"I don't suppose I want to know why you're…acquainted with such people, do I?"

"No," Kaiba said in a matter of fact manner, not that he would tell Yami anyway.

"Thought not," Yami said with a wry smile. "So what can I get you today?"

"Change of Heart," Kaiba requested, trying not to read too much into the dish's name.

"Sure thing," Yami told him as he entered the order into his digital pad.

When Yami walked away, Kaiba did his best not to watch. In fact, he did his best to avoid looking at Yami completely, but his best wasn't good enough, apparently. His eyes still strayed to Yami whenever he stopped paying attention and it was frustrating. But there was just something about Yami's presence that demanded attention. It was the same way he commanded the stage when they dueled. You couldn't help but watch; his presence was magnetic, electrifying. It was made worse when Yami caught him watching his interactions of a table of three gushing girls, causing him to wink playfully at Kaiba. It took Kaiba aback and made him feel strange inside, all of which made him scowl in displeasure. It was made worse when Yami brought over his food and said, "You're at least trying to be more subtle today."

"Oh, shut up," Kaiba growled, greatly displeased.

Yami merely laughed as he walked away, only serving to annoy Kaiba further. He didn't like being the source of Yami's amusement, but he did his best to ignore it as he began to eat. At least it gave him food to focus on instead of Yami. But he soon grew bored of staring at his plate and let his eyes drift over to the Mai cosplayer. Her breasts were barely staying in her top and he rolled his eyes at the ogling businessmen she was serving. Kaiba failed to see the appeal in such flashy presentations, but he had never given in to his baser human instincts in that regard. Logic far outweighed his emotional responses…except when it came to Yami, apparently.

The Jounouchi cosplayer was also working the floor and earned an eye roll from Kaiba for a different reason. The bleach blonde was half as bombastic as the original and Kaiba was only mildly pacified that he was less irritating; the other half of him disapproved of the lack of authenticity, but then again, it was hard to be as obnoxious as the real Jounouchi. The look was similar, but no one beat Yami in closest representation to their original counterpart. Then again, he had an unfair advantage. Although it left the question as to why there was such a strong resemblance to Yuugi.

Yami appeared as Kaiba was reflecting on it and it caused him to ask, "Why do you look like Yuugi?"

"Because it's my _job_," Yami replied with a snort, finding the question strange.

"No, I mean in real life, idiot," Kaiba clarified. "Is he a descendent of yours or something?"

"He could be," Yami mused. "I never really gave it much thought."

"How could you not?" Kaiba asked, finding the answer strange.

Shrugging, Yami explained, "It just never seemed important. But now that you mention it, I wonder if I had kids…?"

"You don't know?" Kaiba incredulously demanded. "Didn't you regain all of your memories after the last duel?"

"No, they're still trapped in the Millennium Puzzle and I can't explore it anymore," Yami explained, even though he knew Kaiba hated talking about mystical stuff. "It's not fair, but that's just how it is."

"So you have no way of knowing?"

"Not unless you I come across something in a museum exhibit," Yami said with an amusement that Kaiba didn't understand. "Or if you remember something useful."

"Not going to happen," Kaiba quickly denied, relieved that the flashbacks to the ancient Egyptian past had stopped once Yami got his own body.

"Then I guess I'll never know," Yami said with another shrug. "Why do you ask?"

_Hell if I know_, Kaiba thought to himself. To Yami he merely said, "A passing thought, nothing more."

"Ah," Yami replied. "More coffee?"

"Please," Kaiba requested as he relinquished his mug.

Taking it and his plate, Yami took them away, leaving Kaiba to berate himself for being so foolish to ask such a question. Why should he care?

Yami was quick to reappear with the coffee and he placed it on the table. He was about to say something when one of his patrons waved him down and forced him to part without a word. Sometimes the interruptions were irritating to Kaiba, but at other times they were a welcome reprieve. His own reactions irritated him, but he didn't see himself changing anytime soon when it came to Yami. Kaiba wished he could get his reactions under his control, but it seemed futile; Yami was just too good at keeping him off kilter.

Checking the time on his watch, Kaiba realized he needed to get back to his office for a conference call. It felt wrong to leave without saying something to Yami, but he had no more time. Finishing his coffee and standing up to leave, Kaiba had to dismiss the stupid thought of leave a note for Yami. _What's wrong with me?_ he wondered as he left with one last fleeting look in Yami's direction. Trying to push it out of his mind, Kaiba did his best to refocus himself on the rest of the work day ahead of him.

* * *

**A/N: **Not much to add here, so moving right along.

**NEXT CHAPTER:**

_Still, the sense of wrongness and disappointment wouldn't leave him so easily, no matter how much he rationalized it._

Next update will go up on **Sunday, July 14th**, which is a mystery to me how we're already over halfway through the year. Until then, I look forward to hearing your reviews on this chapter. It thrills me that everyone seems to be enjoying this one so far.


	6. Chapter 06: Absence

**Chapter 06: Absence**

Kaiba could only blink as the hostess informed him, "I'm sorry, Kaiba-sama, but Yuugi-kun isn't here today."

"What do you mean he's not here?" Kaiba demanded as his hands clenched into fists, too worked up to think about his overreaction.

"He called out today," she stated and for the briefest moment, Kaiba wondered if Yami was avoiding him for some reason. "Would you prefer Rebecca-chan or Jounouchi-kun?"

The thought of being waited on by someone pretending to be a child was even more displeasing than a representation of the mutt. Before he could state his preference, the Jounouchi impersonator walked up to them and offered, "Yo, I'll be more than happy to take care of you."

Bristling at the address, Kaiba conceded, "That'll be fine," and followed the Jounouchi cosplayer to his section.

"So am I supposed to address you as Kaiba-sama or like the real Jounouchi-kun?" the man asked, showing a foresight the real Jounouchi lacked.

"Kaiba-sama will be fine," Kaiba primly informed him.

"Yes, Kaiba-sama," he replied with a formal bow before reverting to Jounouchi's mannerisms. "What can I get ya?"

"Just coffee," Kaiba requested, knowing that he wouldn't be staying long under the circumstances. Why he hadn't just turned around and walked out was beyond him, other than it looked bad. After all, he didn't _need_ his waiter to be Yami and this would be a good opportunity to judge the experience from another perspective. Still, that deep sense of dissatisfaction lingered.

Once the Jounouchi cosplayer left, Kaiba's mind wouldn't stop coming back to the question of why Yami wasn't at work. Had something happened? Was he sick? Was something wrong? It just didn't make sense to Kaiba why Yami wasn't working his normal shift. It was galling how much it was bothering Kaiba that Yami wasn't there at the cafe, but he couldn't seem to shake it.

He was pulled from his thoughts when the Jounouchi cosplayer returned with the coffee. "Anything else?" he asked.

"No, that'll be all for now," Kaiba dismissed him. Watching as he left, Kaiba's mind traitorously continued comparing the differences between him and Yami. They were vast and numerous and Kaiba quickly grew bored of observing the Jounouchi cosplayer whose section was overbooked because of Yami's absence. He noticed a few of the tables had crestfallen girls, who clearly were there for Yami. It once again reminded Kaiba of what a draw Yami was for the cafe.

Cautiously sipping at his still steaming coffee, Kaiba grimaced at the taste. Sure, it was good by normal standards, but Kaiba was too spoiled by Yami's special blend. He set it aside with a sigh and debated taking out a file to work on or just getting up and leaving. Deciding he was wasting his time, he waited for the Jounouchi cosplayer to take an order at a table of four so he could slip out unnoticed without confrontation. Still, the sense of wrongness and disappointment wouldn't leave him so easily, no matter how much he rationalized it.

* * *

The rest of the day Kaiba had been irritable and that was frustrating to him. Why should Yami's absence make such an impact on his day? Why should he feel…_disappointed_ that he had been denied his weekly visit? It wasn't like he looked forward to them or anything. So what was his problem?

Of course, that was something that he should be asking himself in general. His reactions to Yami were becoming more and more confusing. It went beyond the normal reactions he had to his rival when they were dueling and Kaiba didn't understand how or why it started. Well, that wasn't entirely true. There were events along the way that Kaiba could pinpoint, like the way Yami had touched him in the duelist arena in Egypt or his pleased smile the first time he had entered the cafe. Then there was that weird flutter he felt inside of him whenever Yami looked at him in a certain way or winked at him playfully—whatever _that_ was. There were emotions that Kaiba didn't know the name for that were plaguing him and it was starting to become insufferable. It made him want to take time away from seeing Yami, but somehow he got the feeling that would make it worse.

Without the gulf between them when facing off in a card game, there was an intimacy that formed in the closeness between them despite the professional distance the job created. Things were becoming personal in a way that confounded Kaiba and he wanted to get in control of his reactions before he embarrassed himself further. Plus, there was that irritating ability Yami had to read him so accurately. When had he figured out Kaiba so well? Was it partially because of how he studied his competition for dueling? But somehow it seemed more than that. Yami's intuitiveness was impressive, if not galling.

He was distracted from his thoughts by his phone intercom buzzing and he pressed the button and rudely asked, "What?"

"I have that package you requested," his secretary informed him in a pleasant voice, completely unfazed by his attitude.

"Bring it in," Kaiba told her before releasing the button and schooling his expression into a neutral one. It was easier to pretend he was okay around other people when he had a certain expected façade to keep up for appearances.

The secretary appeared moments later with a large envelope in her hands that she passed over to Kaiba with a professional smile. "Here you are, sir," she said with a formal bow. "Is there anything else you require?"

"Not at the moment," Kaiba dismissed her, waiting until she had left to open the envelope.

Various documents poured out of the envelope and onto his desk and Kaiba sorted through them. The first thing he picked up was the passport made for Yami and he examined it with a critical eye. Everything looked in order, down to the few select passport stamps to make it look authentic, including a stamp from Yami's Egypt trip. Somehow he knew that little detail would greatly please Yami and it gave Kaiba a warm feeling that he was quick to dismiss. Next he looked at the birth certificate, then the National Health Insurance card, and finally a driver's license. He studied the picture at length, amazed that Yami managed to look so different from Yuugi when he pulled back his hair into a ponytail. How such a little detail made such a big difference was intriguing to Kaiba. It just reminded him all the more how strange it was to see someone as proud as Yami pretending to be someone as meek as Yuugi on a regular basis.

Kaiba rifled through the various other documents remaining on his desk, pleased with the professionalism of his guy's work. He hoped that Yami was pleased with them enough to agree to be in his tournament, an idea he had yet to let go of in the intervening weeks. He wanted Yami to perform in the worst of ways and he was willing to do just about anything to ensure that it happened. It went far beyond the want for good ratings in the televised recording of the duel, but Kaiba still didn't pretend to understand his motivations. It was just easier not to think about it.

Of course now the problem was that he wanted to give the documents to Yami as soon as possible, but he felt weird about going to the cafe twice in one week. Besides, he had no guarantee that Yami was going to be there now. Kaiba traditionally went on a Monday to the cafe and it seemed that Yami was always working on that day. Beyond that, Kaiba wasn't sure what Yami's schedule was and he didn't feel like embarrassing himself by calling in and finding out what his hours were. He could always have his secretary do it, but that felt cowardly and let someone know his interest in Yami, which was unacceptable. So that left him with the option of personally calling Yami and arranging a time outside of the cafe to give him the documents. There was something appealing about seeing Yami outside of the cafe, but Kaiba didn't think too deeply on what his reaction was to the idea.

The more Kaiba turned the idea over in his mind, the more he grew to like it—minus the fact that he had to actually _call_ Yami and have a conversation with him, which was a definite downside to the idea. There was just something so awkward about it, which was ridiculous since Kaiba made countless phone calls in a day that were far more important. So why shouldn't he call Yami?

Decision made, Kaiba looked up Yami's employee profile in the system and was pleased to find his cell phone number. Dialing it before he could change his mind, Kaiba waited for Yami to pick up the phone. It took three rings before he heard Yami saying, "Hello?"

Well he certainly didn't sound sick, so Kaiba's confusion about why Yami was absent from work continued to grow. "It's Kaiba," Kaiba identified himself, scowling at himself for what sounded like such an awkward start.

"Hey!" Yami replied, sounding pleased which only served to puzzle Kaiba. "What's up?"

"I need you to come into my office," Kaiba said without preamble, sounding more brusque than he meant to.

"I can't today," Yami informed Kaiba, sounding disappointed. Or maybe that was just Kaiba imagining things. "Would tomorrow afternoon work?"

Frowning at the brush off, Kaiba bit back a question about why Yami couldn't meet that day. Whatever it was that was keeping him from work was also keeping him from meeting up with Kaiba, but clearly wasn't dire enough to keep him from the next day. Why had he missed work, then? "That would be acceptable," Kaiba confirmed, although there was a little seed of disappointment inside of him over the reply.

"I'll see you then," Yami warmly told him, once again sounding pleased.

"Just tell them who you are at the front desk and they'll send you up," Kaiba explained, making a mental note to tell them to wave the normally required ID check.

"Thanks," Yami said. "So any time is fine?"

"Yeah," Kaiba confirmed after quickly glancing at his calendar to double check his schedule.

"Should I call you at this number if something comes up?" Yami asked, alerting Kaiba that whatever the problem was might extend into the next day.

Nodding even though Yami couldn't see him, Kaiba answered, "Yes, that would be fine."

"I think it'll be fine, though," Yami reassured Kaiba. "Oh shit, I'm sorry to cut this short, but I have to go. See you tomorrow?

"Until then," Kaiba replied, wondering why Yami had to go so quickly.

"Bye!" Yami hurriedly said before the line went dead.

Hanging up his phone, Kaiba looked at it with a raised eyebrow as he tried to figure out what had just happened. Clearly something had happened on Yami's end and Kaiba wondered if it was connected to whatever caused him to miss work. Still, the conversation had gone well, if not a little on the stilted side of professional. It felt very businesslike rather than two friends chatting and Kaiba didn't know what to make of that since he didn't really see Yami fitting into either category.

Regardless, Kaiba was just pleased that he would be seeing Yami tomorrow and could give him the documents. He immediately censured the emotions, wondering what was wrong with him. Yami was his rival, nothing more. It wasn't like they were dueling tomorrow, so why should Kaiba look forward to it? He was tired of the mixed emotions that went along with Yami, but somehow Kaiba couldn't bring it in himself to cut off all ties with his rival. It seemed he would just have to get used to things being complicated. Maybe the sooner he accepted it, the sooner he'd grow accustomed to it and it would stop being so messy in his head.

* * *

**A/N:** I'd call this one progress. XD

Sorry this one went up a little later than normal. For starters, I really struggled with this chapter this week. Also, my cat is very sick and it's not looking good for him. I've had him for almost seventeen years, so it's pretty emotional for me right now, as those of you who follow me on Twitter know.

**NEXT CHAPTER:**

_A slow grin spread across Yami's face as he realized, "That's not a no."_

The next chapter update should be on **Sunday, July 28th**. Until then, I look forward to seeing your reviews, which would really cheer me up right now.


	7. Chapter 07: Approaching

**A/N: **There's a **schedule update** at the end of the chapter.

* * *

**Chapter 07: Approaching**

"You summoned me?" Yami asked as he strutted into Kaiba's enormous office at Kaiba Corporation.

"Indeed I did," Kaiba replied as he gestured for Yami to take a seat in a chair in front of his desk. He couldn't help but notice that Yami was dressed as himself, rather than as Yuugi; Kaiba was more pleased by that than he should have been. The black jacket with buckles suited Yami, as did his tight jeans, but Kaiba did his best to put it out of his mind. Even though he couldn't help but notice that Yami had his hair pulled back into a tight ponytail like he wore in his pictures he had supplied Kaiba with for his documents.

"Am I in trouble?" Yami hesitantly questioned as he gingerly took a seat in front of the imposing desk.

Steepling his fingers, Kaiba wanted to know, "What makes you think you're in trouble?"

The intimidating environment was mainly the cause, but Yami chose to comment, "You're seeing me here instead of the cafe."

"I'm not in the habit of wasting my time," Kaiba informed him, still miffed about the previous day.

Blinking at the comment it led Yami to ask, "Is this because I wasn't at work yesterday?"

"Partially," Kaiba admitted, although he immediately regretted it. It was too forward for his tastes and he scowled at himself.

Surprised that Kaiba was being so upfront about it, Yami explained, "Jii-chan threw out his back that morning and had an emergency visit with a chiropractor. Yuugi was in class, so I had to watch the Game Shop."

It was a reasonable answer, but Kaiba still wasn't appeased. "Ah," was his only reply, causing Yami to shift uncomfortably in his chair.

"You're displeased," Yami realized, wondering if it wasn't disappointment instead.

Shrugging as he lowered his arms to the arm rests, Kaiba conceded, "I suppose you could say that."

"For what it's worth, I _am_ sorry," Yami apologized.

"It changes nothing," Kaiba dismissively told him.

"Still," Yami insisted, feeling bad over the situation. "I wanted to be there. I look forward to your visits."

The question escaped Kaiba before he had time to stop it, "_Why_?"

"I've enjoyed our…interactions," Yami confessed, hoping it would mollify Kaiba some. "And I suspect the same is true for you as well."

"Don't be so presumptuous," Kaiba haughtily told him, vaguely horrified that Yami had figured out such a thing.

A slow grin spread across Yami's face as he realized, "That's not a no."

"It doesn't matter," Kaiba said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

_But it does_, Yami gleefully thought, the realization giving him hope that there was hope of something changing between them. Instead of gloating, Yami asked, "What was the other reason?"

"Huh?" Kaiba asked before quickly recovering himself. "Oh, I have something for you."

"Really?" Yami questioned with a mounting interest.

Opening his desk drawer, Kaiba pulled out an envelope and slid it across his desk to Yami. Hesitantly accepting it and carefully opening it, Yami's eyes went wide in surprise as he pulled out a passport and stared at it in awe. It looked one hundred percent authentic and he marveled at it before looking up in gratitude. "I don't know how you managed it, but thank you," Yami said with genuine gratitude. A fear that he would be discovered and jailed had been plaguing him since his illegal return to Japan and now he would never have that worry again.

"There's a birth certificate and some other official documents in there," Kaiba informed him. "You should have everything you need to get by. And if anyone does happen to check into it, the details will be there."

"Thank you," Yami repeated in an awed voice, amazed by Kaiba's willingness to help.

Uncomfortable with the genuine gratitude, Kaiba once again waved it away, even though he was secretly pleased with Yami's appropriate reactions, "So about my tournament…"

"I'll do it, but not because of this," Yami told him, gesturing with the envelope for emphasis.

"What other reason would you have?" Kaiba questioned, knowing it was part of their informal agreement.

Smiling at Kaiba in a way that made something inside of him response, Yami said, "Because you asked me."

"What's that got to do with anything?" Kaiba demanded, even though the answer pleased him immensely.

"Plenty," Yami replied, still smiling. "Speaking of which, what about _our_ duel?"

Frowning, Kaiba hated to admit, "I'm still working on that. This tournament has been taking up all my time, so…"

"I can imagine," Yami emphatically said, imagining what kinds of hell Kaiba must be going through to look so tired.

"And I don't even get to compete this year," Kaiba complained with a sigh.

"Why not?" Yami asked in disappointment, having hoped to face off against Kaiba in the tournament as well as their private duel.

"Sponsors thought it was a conflict of interests," Kaiba explained, still not happy that he acquiesced on the matter. "It's ridiculous of course, but…"

Shaking his head, Yami commented, "That really sucks."

"Tell me about it," Kaiba griped, all while a small part of his brain marveled at the normalcy of their interactions. _Almost as if we were friends_, he thought before pushing away such a traitorous thought. "But we'll have our duel, I can promise you that."

"It's probably for the best that we don't have an audience anyway," Yami concluded.

"What makes you say that?"

"Because it's for us, not them," Yami explained.

It was a good point, but Kaiba said nothing of it. Still, his mind wouldn't let it go so easily. He liked that Yami seemed to understand him, even as it drove him nuts at the same time. He couldn't shake the strange urge to monopolize Yami's time with a duel and he hated that his schedule was causing such a great delay. Finally realizing a response of some kind was required, he said, "I'm hoping in about three weeks time."

"That long?" Yami questioned in disappointment. "Although it's still before the tournament, so I guess I should be glad for that."

"My secondary project should be over by then and free up some of my time," Kaiba informed him, although it was a mystery to him why he was justifying himself to the likes of Yami.

"Multitasking?"

"Always," Kaiba replied. "I was hoping to have the new Duel Disks ready for the tournament, but I'm not sure if it'll happen or not."

"Ooh, new Duel Disks!" Yami excitedly commented, eager about the prospect. "What's new about them?"

"You'll find out soon enough," Kaiba told him, not willing to tell his rival quite yet.

Leaning forward in earnestly, Yami pleaded, "Come on, give me a hint at least."

Figuring that there was no harm in it, Kaiba indulged the request, "It'll make it easier to defeat you."

"That's not a hint—that's wishful thinking!" Yami exclaimed before laughing.

Looking vaguely miffed, Kaiba disagreed with an arrogant, "We'll see about that."

"Looking forward to it," Yami said with a smug look that cut straight through Kaiba.

_So am I_, Kaiba thought, disturbing himself with how true the sentiment was. Before he could say anything further, his phone range and he answered it with a harsher than a normal, "What?" The disturbance was decidedly unwelcome.

"Your 4.30 conference call is ready. Shall I patch you in now?" his secretary asked, not the least bit fazed by his demeanor or tone.

"Not yet," Kaiba declined before hanging up the phone.

"I need to go?" Yami deduced.

Shocked that he had lost total track of time while talking to Yami, he numbly nodded.

"I'll see you later and thanks again," Yami said before leaving with a casual wave.

Kaiba took a moment to collect himself before picking up his phone and ordering his secretary, "Patch me through."

* * *

**A/N:** First off, thank you to everyone for the thoughtful well wishes. It really meant a lot to me. Unfortunately my cat didn't make it, so it's been a sad time of late. But your support really means a lot to me, so thank you to everyone who reached out to me.

**NEXT CHAPTER:**

_There were words on the tip of his tongue, but being so close to crimson made them disappear._

I originally was going to push the update back to the 18th because I'll be traveling and unable to be near a computer on the 11th, but I didn't feel right about doing only one update in August. So the next update will be **Sunday, August 4****th** and the following update will be on the 18th. I'm doing this so that there won't be only one update in August. I'd feel too bad about that. So until then, I look forward to hearing your reviews.


	8. Chapter 08: Back to Normal

**Chapter 08: Back to Normal**

When Kaiba heard Yami's customary, "Welcome back, Kaiba," he felt like everything had returned to normal. He was pleased when Yami preemptively set his coffee down on the table without being asked. After the disastrous cup from the previous week, Yami's coffee was a welcomed reappearance; it was past the point of him questioning anymore. "Why are you the only one who serves this kind of coffee?" Kaiba chose to ask instead.

"I only make it for you, and well, myself," Yami replied almost shyly, looking very much like his aibou as a result. "I took a gamble that you'd appreciate it."

The answer pleased Kaiba far more than it should have. "You were right," Kaiba said, coming as close to complementing Yami without actually doing so.

"I'm glad you like it," Yami told him, clearly reading between the lines of what Kaiba wasn't saying.

"Mm," was all Kaiba said before taking a cautious sip of the still steaming coffee.

"What would you like today?"

Glancing over the now familiar menu, Kaiba decided on, "The Magnet Warrior platter."

"Okay," Yami said as he entered the order.

When Yami returned a short while later with the food, Kaiba took the opportunity to ask, "Have you registered for the tournament yet?"

"I did it on Sunday," Yami said with a pleased smile. "So did aibou, by the way."

"About damn time," Kaiba muttered, feeling a sense of relief that his biggest draw was finally locked in to compete.

"He's excited about the photo shoot on Saturday," Yami said, although he realized there was a high probability that Kaiba didn't care.

It took a moment to process, but he realized, "Oh, for the tournament pamphlet."

"Yeah," Yami confirmed.

Still feeling relieved that his main draw for the tournament had finally signed on, Kaiba was about to say something further when Yami got called away by another table. He sat in silence and enjoyed his lunch, unknowingly awaiting Yami's return. It left him time to question why he was so irritable when others diverted Yami's attention from him. It felt a lot like jealousy, but that couldn't be right. Kaiba Seto had no use for such a base emotion. He took whatever he wanted; there was no point in pining away for something when he could do something about it. So if that was the case, then what was that damnable emotion that kept plaguing him?

"How was it?" Yami inquired when he finally managed to swing back around to Kaiba's table.

"Good," Kaiba praised it, still inordinately pleased with the quality of the food.

"I'm glad. Anything else?" Yami offered, even though Kaiba normally declined dessert.

"Just more coffee, thanks," Kaiba ordered.

Another table once again hailed Yami and he left to take care of them. It made Kaiba realize the restaurant was almost at full capacity. When Yami finally returned, Kaiba commented, "You're busy today."

"The closer we get to the tournament, the more people start to come," Yami informed Kaiba, surprised that he hadn't deduced such a thing.

"Makes sense," Kaiba decided, knowing that quarter's profits should be higher as a result, something that pleased him very much. "You'll be extra busy."

"I already am," Yami wryly replied as he gestured to his full section.

Nodding in acknowledgement as he enjoyed his coffee, Kaiba found himself once again watching Yami in action. After seeing him as Yami in his office, the sense of wrongness at seeing him as Yuugi returned. It was an annoying feeling, but it persisted as he tried to subtly to watch without getting caught again. Plus it was weird realizing he preferred the way Yami looked when he was outside of work. Why should he think of such things? Shaking his head to rid himself of such thoughts, Kaiba forced himself to focus on something else.

Seeing the line of patrons waiting for a table, Kaiba realized that he should probably leave soon, but he was loathe to give up his time before he absolutely had to. Still, he had a lot of work waiting for him at his office and he finished his coffee. He caught Yami's eye and he appeared shortly afterward. "Another cup of coffee?" Yami offered.

"Not today," Kaiba declined, "because I have to get back to the office."

"Then I'll see you next time, unless you summon me before then."

Arching an eyebrow at the hint, Kaiba merely said, "Okay," as he stood up and looked down at Yami. There were words on the tip of his tongue, but being so close to crimson made them disappear.

"I'll see you around," Yami said with a playful wink before leaving when he was once again called over to another table.

Grabbing his briefcase, Kaiba headed back to his office, doing his best to ignore the weird flutter that wink had caused inside of him.

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry, I know this one is a little on the shorter side, but it serves a purpose for setting up the next chapter, where things take a turn for the interesting, promise.

**NEXT CHAPTER:**

"_I'm not implying anything," Yami replied as he uncrossed his arms. "I'm saying that you're jealous."_

Getting closer to the real issue~. Next update will be on **Sunday, August 18th. **Until then, I look forward to your reviews!


	9. Chapter 09: Interruptions

**Chapter 09: Interruptions**

Irritable didn't even begin to cover Kaiba's mood. He had been called down to the photo shoot for a stupid problem and he was angry that his time was being wasted. Walking through the throngs of various duelists that were there for the pamphlet shoot, Kaiba was less than thrilled to hear his name called out—at least until he saw that it was Yami.

"What are you doing here?" Yami asked as he approached Kaiba, sensing his foul mood too late.

"I could ask the same of you," Kaiba retorted, surprised to see Yami there and once again dressed as himself. Today he was wearing a white beater with faded blue jeans and it made Kaiba's eyes trace over his form, taking in the sight. He was distracted by the fact that Yami's hair was pulled back into a short ponytail save for his blonde bangs that were down and framing his face, giving him a more exotic look than normal and making him look less like Yuugi.

Overly aware of the way Kaiba was assessing him, Yami didn't let it bother him as he explained, "Aibou wanted someone to keep him company during the downtime and I wasn't doing anything. Besides, I wanted to see what all the fuss was about."

"Fuss?" Kaiba repeated without understanding.

"Just scoping out my competition," Yami clarified as he gestured around them.

Kaiba said with a sneer, "As if any of them are competition for you."

Smirking at Kaiba's assumption, Yami couldn't help but agree, "Well, yes, but still. It pays to do your research."

"Anyone interesting?" Kaiba asked, a bit behind on the dueling roster; it wasn't as interesting when he wasn't the one competing.

"There's a duelist from Egypt, but that's more interesting to me than his abilities," Yami told him after thinking it over for a moment.

Rolling his eyes at the Egyptian connection, Kaiba dryly commented, "Of course."

"What about you? Have your eye on anyone other than me and aibou?" Yami inquired with a grin.

"Not particularly," Kaiba truthfully answered since there was no point in others even being there when the finale outcome was obvious.

"That confident in our victory?" Yami impishly asked, even though he knew the answer.

"Naturally," Kaiba arrogantly replied. "Anything less and I'll be disappointed. And I hate being disappointed."

"Can't have that now, can we?" Yami teased. "Speaking of disappointed, when are you going to make time for our—Keisuke-kun?!"

The interruption confused Kaiba and he was instantly irritated when a cameraman approached them with a broad smile and a friendly, "Yo, Yami-kun! Surprising to see you here."

"You're the photographer for this?" Yami asked, although the camera was a good indication.

"Yeah, although I still haven't seen Yuugi-kun yet," Keisuke said. "More importantly, when are you going to agree to model for me?"

"I really don't get your fascination with me," Yami protested, although that wasn't entirely true.

"It should be fairly obvious, yeah?" Keisuke said with a winning smile.

Kaiba's irritation at the interloper was rapidly mounting. He didn't understand the friendly interactions between the two guys, nor was he sure he wanted to. Nor did he like what was being implied by Keisuke about Yami. Kaiba just wanted to return to their original conversation, but it didn't seem like Keisuke would be leaving any time soon.

Sensing Kaiba's shifting mood, but misunderstanding the source of it, Yami introduced them, "Kaiba, this is Wakayama Keisuke, a well-known photographer—"

"I know that already," Kaiba rudely interrupted. "I hired him, after all." Which was part of what was galling him at the moment.

"Only the best," Yami agreed with a playful smile that did little to mollify Kaiba. "Keisuke-kun is also a duelist, which is how I originally met him last year."

"I don't think I can call myself that after the way you kicked my ass last time we fought," Keisuke said with a laugh that Yami joined in with, much to Kaiba's annoyance. He didn't like thinking of other people dueling his rival; they weren't worth Yami's time, so why bother? "I still want my rematch!"

Not wanting to hear anymore about someone other than him dueling Yami, Kaiba told Yami, "I have a date for our match."

"Finally!" he happily exclaimed as he pulled out his schedule from his back pocket. "Damn, I don't have a pen…"

Holding out his hand expectantly, he received Yami's schedule and opened it to the proper page as he pulled out a pen from his coat jacket. Hurriedly writing down the time and location at his house, Kaiba was less than pleased by Yami's reaction. He had expected more after the hassle he had gone through to clear his schedule—even if it was a canceled dinner meeting that had inadvertently freed up his time.

Looking at it when he received his schedule back, Yami said, "Excellent. I'm very much looking forward to it, Kaiba."

"Got room in there for me?" Keisuke asked, further infuriating Kaiba. He didn't understand the strength of his own reactions, but that was a thought best left for later.

"Of course," Yami told him, further upsetting Kaiba. "When were you thinking?"

"How about tonight?" Keisuke suggested, his voice lowering to a sensuous timber. "And then afterwards maybe we could get dinner together and—"

Before Yami could answer, Kaiba interrupted, "Don't you have a job to do?"

Laughing knowingly at the reaction, Keisuke quickly reigned in his reaction at the death glare Kaiba leveled at him. "I guess the lunch break is almost over…" he murmured, knowing it didn't pay to piss of his employer; Kaiba Corporation was a good gig and he didn't want to lose it. "I'll see you later, Yami-kun, Kaiba-sama."

Once Keisuke walked away, Yami faced Kaiba with his arms crossed over his chest and demanded, "Was that really necessary?"

"Was what?" Kaiba asked, not seeing what Yami was worked up about now.

"The rude way you dismissed Keisuke-kun," Yami clarified, less the amused.

Shrugging with an arrogant tilt of his head, Kaiba defended himself, "I'm not paying him to slack off on personal time."

"He's allowed to take breaks. Even you're not that draconian," Yami argued. "Or are you just pissed that he invited me to dinner?"

"_What_?" Kaiba incredulously demanded. "Why would _I_ be bothered by such a thing?"

"You tell me," Yami said, pinning Kaiba under is gaze. "You were fine until he showed up."

"You're reading too much into it," Kaiba dismissively stated. "Save the sleep talking for when you're asleep."

"Uh huh," Yami hummed, sounding like he didn't believe Kaiba in the least.

Bristling at the tone, Kaiba asked, "What exactly are you implying?"

"I'm not implying anything," Yami replied as he uncrossed his arms. "I'm saying that you're jealous."

"That would imply I have some sort of claim on you, which I _don't_," Kaiba defended himself, uncomfortable with what Yami was suggesting—all the more so because a small part of him was whispering that maybe Yami was right. His behavior toward Yami had been becoming more abnormal and it really needed to stop.

"Aren't you the one always saying I'm _your_ rival?" Yami reminded Kaiba in a bemused voice. "Possessive much?"

Drawing himself up to his full height, Kaiba argued, "That's different."

"How?"

"It just is!"

"_Very_ convincing argument," Yami sarcastically said with a laugh.

Holding back an irritated growl, Kaiba was about to retort when Yuugi called out, "There you are, Yami! Hey, Kaiba-kun!" Kaiba's mind traitorously began comparing the differences between them. It was even more obvious when they were standing next to each other; it was amazing that Yami could pretend to be Yuugi at all.

Biting back his irritation, Kaiba civilly greeted him with a slightly terse, "Yuugi."

"Everything okay?" Yuugi asked as he his gaze shifted between the two teens, sensing something was up between them.

"It's fine, aibou," Yami reassured him. "All done?"

"Yeah, _finally_!" Yuugi told him with relief. "It was so boring just waiting around. Ready to go?"

Nodding, Yami told Kaiba, "I'll see you at our duel, Kaiba."

"Don't be late," Kaiba brusquely warned Yami.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Yami told him with a grin that loosened something in Kaiba's chest. "Until then."

"Ah," was all Kaiba could say in response as he watched them leave. The conversation had scrambled something in his brain, but Kaiba didn't understand why or what. What was it about Yami that kept him so off balance? And as if Kaiba Seto had to be jealous of some random photographer? The very idea of it was laughable. But some part of his mind was still deeply unsettled by the accusation, mostly because it hit a little too close to home. The idea of Yami having dinner with Keisuke was upsetting for some reason and no matter how much he told himself it was because he suspected the photographer's ulterior motives, it still didn't properly explain why it bothered Kaiba.

* * *

**A/N:** Getting a little closer to the real issue~.

**NEXT CHAPTER:**

"_Clearly I've been wasting my time," Kaiba all but snarled, his hurt showing through more than he realized._

Whatever could have happened~? *grins* The next update will go up on **Sunday, September 1st. **It sounds so far away, but it's really just around the corner, ugh. Where has this year gone? Anyway, back to the point, thank you so much for your fabulous reviews! I've so enjoyed reading and responding to them all. It means the world to me to have your continued support, so thank you so much! I hope to hear from you all again in the future!


	10. Chapter 10: Confrontations

**Chapter 10: Confrontations**

Kaiba's rage was almost apoplectic as he waited for Yami to appear at his house. He was over an hour late, which was beyond unacceptable—especially after he had been _warned_ not to be late. The longer the delay, the worse Kaiba's mood got; he couldn't believe that Yami had blown him off on something so important. Decision made, Kaiba pulled out his phone and called Yami.

What Kaiba hadn't expected was Jounouchi to pick up and demand, "Who the hell is this?"

Ignoring the question, Kaiba demanded, "Where's Yami?"

"What's it matter to you?"

"I have business with him," Kaiba explained, clenching his phone so hard in his hand he could hear the case crack. To be blown off so Yami could spend time with the mutt was almost enough to send him into a blind rage.

A rude snort was the first answer he received and Kaiba wanted to reach through the phone and hit the disrespectful mutt. Why did Yami put up with him? "You know, this sounds a hell of a lot like Kaiba, but that can't possibly be right," Jounouchi realized.

"Give the phone to him," Kaiba ordered, the last of his patience running out rapidly.

"You're a commanding bastard just like him, too," Jounouchi continued "Yo, how the fuck did you get Yami's number? And what the hell are you calling him for?"

"That is none of your concern," Kaiba snapped, his voice raising in anger.

"He's got better things to do than you," Jounouchi snarled through the phone.

Faintly on the other end Kaiba heard Yami ask in amusement, "And who am I doing?"

"Ew, I didn't mean like that!" Jounouchi protested with a laugh. "Especially not this guy. There's a bastard on the phone who sounds a hell of a lot like Kaiba. Real arrogant asshole just like him, too."

"Give me that!" Yami commanded and there was a commotion as Yami tried to get his phone back from his overprotective friend. "Hello?"

"So you have time to waste with him, but none for our duel?" Kaiba accused him, sounding more bitter than he had intended.

"What are you talking about? Our duel is—" Yami started to protest, but Kaiba wouldn't hear it.

"Clearly I've been wasting my time," Kaiba all but snarled, his hurt showing through more than he realized.

"Kaiba—"

"I don't want to hear your bullshit excuse," Kaiba snapped. "Just forget it." With that, Kaiba hung up the phone and tossed it aside in his rage. He saw Yami calling him back and he ignored it. He couldn't believe that he had been so foolish.

Kaiba stalked off to his study to distract himself with work. That had always worked in the past and he was counting on it now. There were just too many thoughts to deal with and Kaiba wanted nothing to do with it.

* * *

The pounding on his front door echoed throughout his empty house and Kaiba was thoroughly sick of it. Ignoring it wasn't working, so he decided to confront it head on instead. Throwing open his door, he was shocked to see an enraged Yami in front of him. "I told you I didn't want to hear any of your bullshit excuses," Kaiba snarled as he started to slam his door in Yami's face.

Preventing Kaiba from doing so, Yami managed to slip inside of Kaiba's house. "No, you listen to me!" Yami exclaimed, irritated by Kaiba's inexplicable behavior. "You don't just get to wave your hand and say, 'Forget it,' like that's all there is to it. What the fuck is your problem?"

"My _problem_," Kaiba said as he checked his watch, "is that you're almost three hours late for our duel."

"What are you talking about?" Yami demanded in exasperation. "If anything, I'm a day early!"

"Nonsense!" Kaiba emphatically declared, incensed at Yami's claim.

Pulling out his schedule, Yami opened it to the page Kaiba had written on, the date very clearly showing Sunday and showed it to him. "What do you have to say for yourself now, huh?"

Grabbing the schedule, Kaiba looked at it in disbelief. His agenda started with Sunday on the top of the page and Saturday on the bottom, but Yami's schedule started with Monday and ended on Sunday. He had written in the bottom space out of habit and he realized that the mix up had been entirely his fault. "That's Saturday in my agenda," he lamely defended himself.

"That's your version of an apology?" Yami demanded, still outraged at the treatment.

"I—"

Snatching his schedule back, Yami accused him, "If you had been paying more attention to this and less to Keisuke-kun, this wouldn't have happened!"

"What's that got to do with anything?" Kaiba demanded, resenting the implication.

"It's not like you to make this kind of mistake," Yami pointed out, "and he was the only variable at that moment. Admit it, his interest in me bothered you!"

Arrogantly tilting his head, Kaiba asked, "Even if that _was_ true, why would I ever admit it to you?"

"Because you like me!"

Of all the responses Yami had been expecting Kaiba busting out into laughter was not one of them. "How arrogant are you? I acknowledge you as my rival and suddenly—"

Not giving Kaiba a chance to finish his sentence, Yam kissed Kaiba hard, not allowing him to pull back immediately. When they finally parted, Yami repeated, "Because you like me."

"I do not!" Kaiba adamantly protested.

"Then why do you burn with rage every time a man gets too close to me? Jounouchi-kun, Keisuke-kun, they're all the same," Yami challenged.

"That's not—"

Yami cut off his protest with another kiss, trying to draw Kaiba deeper into it. Kaiba shoved him away hard, taking a step back to put some space between them. "Stop doing that!"

"You're just embarrassed," Yami told him, not believing that Kaiba really wanted him to stop.

"By your behavior? Certainly," Kaiba agreed.

"I don't believe you," Yami said. "I think you want me to do more than just kiss you."

Laughing incredulously, Kaiba decided, "You're out of your damn mind."

"Oh, like you're not going to replay every moment of this over in your mind as soon as I'm gone," Yami accused him, knowing exactly how Kaiba worked.

"You act like you know everything," Kaiba snarled, annoyed by the presumptuousness of it and the truth behind it. The feeling of Yami's lips on his wasn't something he was readily going to forget. _Bastard_, Kaiba swore in his mind, refusing to forgive Yami for what was bound to be a sleepless night. "If this is the only tactic you have to throw me off for our duel, you're sadly mistaken if you think it's going to work."

Throwing up his hands in exasperation, Yami asked, "Is that really why you think I did that?"

"What other reason would you have?" Kaiba replied. "It's underhanded, especially for you. I expect better from my rival."

"Did it ever occur to you that I like you, too?" Yami suggested.

Laughing once more, Kaiba said, "That's the most ridiculous thing you've said tonight."

"It is not!" Yami protested, not liking being rebuffed. "It's the truth!"

"You should leave before you embarrass yourself further," Kaiba suggested as he gestured for the door because he didn't want to duel under the present circumstances. He was too riled up and without strict concentration on the task at hand, he knew he'd lose in a duel; he was too distracted by what had just happened.

Taking Kaiba's outstretched hand in his, Yami used it to pull them close together. "It's not embarrassing," Yami reassured him with another kiss, one that Kaiba was a little slower to pull away from this time.

"Leave," Kaiba told him as he took his hand back from Yami's loose grip.

Realizing he had pushed Kaiba as far as he was going to go in one night, Yami decided it was in his best interests to comply. Still, he didn't like giving up so easily. "What about our duel?" Yami asked, hoping against the odds that Kaiba would still want to duel him afterward.

"Tomorrow," Kaiba said with a growl, even as he mentally tried to figure out how to rearrange his schedule for it. He didn't want to put it off any longer because it would look like he was running away.

"Fine, I'll see you tomorrow," Yami said, resisting the urge for one final kiss.

Kaiba passively watched as Yami left and it was only after he was completely alone that he raised his fingers to touch his lips. "What the hell?" Kaiba wondered, hating that Yami was right, that he was going to spend a lot of time reflecting on what happened.

* * *

**A/N:** Surprise early update! I sort of forgot that I'll be travelling next weekend and won't have time to post on Sunday, so I thought I'd update a week early since I had the chapter ready instead of posting it a week late. Hopefully that pleases everybody.

And hey, progress for the boys!

**NEXT CHAPTER:**

"_That proves nothing," Kaiba argued, even as he had to yell at part of his mind that was more than ready to jump at the chance._

So the next update will go up on **Sunday, September 8th** since I updated this weekend. I look forward to your reviews on this one! I've really been enjoying reading all of your reactions to this story and I'm thrilled that everyone seems to like it. Thank you so much for your continued support!


	11. Chapter 11: Faceoff

**Chapter 11: Faceoff**

Mercifully Kaiba had managed to get some sleep instead of spending a sleepless night reflecting on the implications of Yami's visit. Of course he hadn't been able to get the _whole_ night without some reflection on it—mostly Yami's insistence on kissing him repeatedly. Even under the circumstances, it had been pleasurable, something that deeply disturbed him, as did the small voice clamoring for more, a voice that had to be silenced at any cost. He couldn't allow himself to be distracted during the fight. He needed to be completely in the moment to stand a chance of defeating Yami and such distractions were unnecessary and unwelcomed.

He was startled from his thoughts by his doorbell and he quickly answered it while trying not to seem too eager for the visit and what was about to happen.

"Hey," Yami casually greeted him as he stepped inside the foyer, acting as if they hadn't been kissing there a few hours before. "I hope you don't mind that I'm a little early."

"It's fine," Kaiba reassured him, secretly pleased with the fact, especially after thinking he had been late yesterday.

Following behind Kaiba, silently admiring the large mansion, Yami inquired, "So where are we dueling?"

"I have a Dueling Platform in the basement," Kaiba explained as he led the way.

"Seriously?" Yami asked with a laugh, finding it both amazing and not surprising all at the same time.

"Where else would I practice?" Kaiba replied with a note of disdain in his voice. He had several AIs programmed to compete with to keep his skills at peak when he had the time for a game, which was usually in the wee hours of the morning.

"Fair point," Yami conceded as he started down the basement stairs. "This is so cool! A perk of being president, I suppose?"

Mollified by the proper sense of awe in Yami's vice, Kaiba replied, "Something like that. Now, shall we duel?"

Amused that Kaiba always seemed to slip into formal language when they dueled, Yami said nothing of it as he agreed, "Sure! Just tell me where to stand."

Pointing to the other side, Kaiba said, "Over there," and was pleased when Yami complied without protest or incident. He had half expected Yami to do something stupid like try and kiss him again, but he was mercifully well behaved today. Blaming it on shitty tactics, Kaiba put it out of his mind and approached his side of the Dueling Platform.

The duel started out hard and fast, just the way Kaiba liked it. He was crushing Yami's life points and trying not to get too cocky about it, lest he lose his advantage. Still, it was hard not to let a few taunts go flying.

Just like their last battle, Kaiba was filled with a complicated flux of constantly changing emotions that were hitting him in a barrage. No one other than Yami could inspire such a range of emotions in him and it was infuriating that his everything kept getting tired up in this one individual. And beyond that, now he had to deal with the memories of those lush lips calling out attacks on him being pressed so sweetly against his. He couldn't forget the feeling or what it stirred within him. _Damn him!_ Kaiba swore, shaking his head as if to dislodge the thought. _If only it were that easy…_

No, Kaiba couldn't afford to let himself get distracted, not when he was so close to winning against Yami for once. He was so close he could almost taste it when the tide of the game shifted and his lead was obliterated spectacularly by Yami's strong comeback. He felt a growing sense of despair as he watched his grand lead turn into last place just like that. As his impending defeat became more and more apparent, Kaiba desperately tried everything he could thinking of to maintain his life points, but it wasn't enough. He was soundly defeated by a triumphant Yami, who was beaming at him from the other end. And even though he felt bitterly disappointed that he had suffered another loss to Yami, he still felt so damn _alive_, so invigorated from their battle. Why was that?

Meeting in the middle of the floor, Yami told him, "You almost had me."

"Almost isn't good enough." Kaiba retorted with a displeased scowl.

Impishly winking at Kaiba, Yami asked, "So what's my prize?"

"This wasn't a tournament," Kaiba irritably answered. "There is no prize."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that."

Arching an eyebrow, Kaiba asked, "Meaning?"

Closing the distance between them, Yami pressed his body close to Kaiba's as he murmured, "I think you know exactly what I want."

His heart started to hammer against his will at the implications and because being so close to crimson made it hard to think for some reason. "This is about last night," Kaiba stated and tried not to jump in surprise when he felt Yami's arm encircle his waist and pull him closer still.

"Very good," Yami patronizingly cooed as he slid his free hand against Kaiba's cheek. The touch brought back memories of that day in the Egyptian tomb and Kaiba shuddered at the memory. "The question is, what conclusion did you reach last night?"

"That you're insane," Kaiba told him, trying not to shiver at the feelings Yami's touch was stoking.

"That may be," Yami conceded, "but it doesn't mean I'm wrong."

Snorting at that, Kaiba muttered, "So presumptuous."

"You have yet to correct me," Yami pointed out with a coy smile that did weird things to Kaiba's heart.

"You're reading too much into it," Kaiba told him, all while wondering why he hadn't pulled away and put some distance between them.

Using his hand on Kaiba's cheek to guide his head down, Yami disagreed, "I don't think so," before lightly capturing his lips in a sweet kiss.

Kaiba was temporarily swept away by Yami's pace and indulged in the kiss for a few moments before his brain kicked in and started lodging a complaint. "No—"

"Yes!" Yami aggressively growled, the sound cutting through Kaiba and making something inside of him flutter in response.

"You don't get to just do what you want because you won!" Kaiba protested.

Sighing irritably, Yami explained, "That's not what this is about, Kaiba. It's about you."

"What about me?"

"I guess I should be thankfully that you're not always this dense," Yami joked before turning serious. "I told you last night that I like you. And I'm pretty sure you feel the same way toward me."

"_Why_?" Kaiba demanded, sounding almost as exasperated as he felt by the situation.

Trying to reason with Kaiba, Yami explained, "We make sense."

"That's the lamest argument that you've used yet," Kaiba snidely remarked as he started trying to disengage himself from Yami's grasps and failing.

"Doesn't make it any less true," Yami defended himself. "No one makes me feel as alive as you do. I hadn't realized how much I had missed that feeling until the day you came into the cafe. Tell me you feel differently."

Hearing Yami verbalize what he secretly thought about his rival was disconcerting, to put it mildly. The problem was that Kaiba was so out of touch with his feelings that he didn't know how to act or what to do. His brain was screaming at him to take control of the situation, but there was a war over whether it involved throwing Yami out or trying to kiss him into silence and see what happened. Neither seemed very practical to Kaiba.

"So I make you feel something. So what?" Kaiba challenged.

"Let me show you," Yami offered. "Let me show you what it feels like."

"Why should I?"

Grinning at the response, Yami replied, "Because you know I'm right."

"You're not right!" Kaiba protested.

"Then kiss me and prove it," Yami challenged.

"That proves nothing," Kaiba argued, even as he had to yell at part of his mind that was more than ready to jump at the chance.

Grinning at what looked like another victory, Yami offered, "Then prove me wrong."

"Anything to shut you up," Kaiba growled, tired of Yami's words triggering doubt and other strange emotions inside of him. Taking Yami's face into his hands, Kaiba kissed Yami, trying to ignore the voice that was whispering that he had just been successfully played. Instead he escalated it and let his tongue enter Yami's mouth to start a new duel, kissing him until he finally had to part for air before accidentally diving in for another addictive taste. All the annoying little voices in his head suddenly quieted down as his everything became tied up in that singular moment with that singular person.

Finally they parted and Yami could only breathe, "Wow," at the overwhelming passion with which Kaiba had just kissed him. "And you say you feel nothing?"

"When did I ever say that?" Kaiba muttered, wondering what the hell was wrong with him. He should never have done that, let alone enjoyed it. Yami was as talented at kissing as he was at everything else and it annoyed Kaiba to no end.

"You keep making me read between the lines," Yami stated, hoping Kaiba would become a little more open in the future.

"Yeah, and you suck at it," Kaiba told him, confused when it made Yami laugh loudly.

"Then why do I always seem to get it right?" Yami questioned.

"You're imagining things."

"Like I imagined that fantastic kiss right now?" Yami teased. "Don't you want more?"

Kaiba complained, "I want this to stop being so complicated."

"The only one over complicating things is you," Yami pointed out to Kaiba. "It doesn't need to be this hard."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Kaiba snapped as he finally stepped free of Yami's confusing embrace.

Not bothering to deny it, Yami agreed, "Yes, I would."

"Why can't you just leave me alone?" Kaiba demanded, wanting things to be back to normal.

"Because this is worth it," Yami explained. "I want to see where this goes."

"And if it goes nowhere?"

Shrugging and trying not to narrow the distance between them again, Yami said, "Then at least we tried."

"And then that's it?"

"If it comes to that, but I don't think that it will, even if we both have wicked tempers at times," Yami told him. "Wouldn't you rather take the risk and find out for yourself?"

Irritably running his fingers through his hair, Kaiba admitted, "I don't know."

"What are you so afraid of?" Yami wanted to know.

"This Kaiba Seto is afraid of nothing!" he immediately protested.

"Then what's stopping you?" Yami asked, successfully laying an effective trap card.

_My nature and training_, were the first two things that popped into Kaiba's mind, but he said nothing of the sort. "It's just wrong," Kaiba finally pronounced.

"No, what's wrong is ignoring the feelings you have because you're afraid of getting hurt," Yami countered.

"Who said anything about getting hurt?"

"Well what other reason is there to ignore this…attraction between us?" Yami questioned.

"Attraction?" Kaiba repeated as if the word were a foul one.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Yami demanded, "Then what would you call it?"

"Ridiculous," Kaiba immediately countered.

"There's still something between us," Yami pointed out to him. "You can't deny that it's there. Or perhaps you need another demonstration?"

Declining with a snide, "Not necessary," Kaiba scowled down at Yami, "Why are you making this so difficult?"

"_I'm_ the one making this difficult?" Yami asked in disbelief. "Hardly. Either you like me back or you don't. Simple."

"I don't know what I feel toward you," Kaiba truthfully responded. "It's…complicated."

"But there are feelings," Yami triumphantly realized with a broad smile.

Unwilling to let Yami have his victory, Kaiba peevishly replied, "Like irritation."

"_Besides_ that," Yami said with a laugh, not immune to that feeling when dealing with the stubborn side of Kaiba.

"I don't know what answer you're looking for," Kaiba told him, refusing to confess to anything.

"It's enough for now to know that you care," Yami decided to settle for, knowing the rest would come later. "Now how about we get dinner?"

Arching an eyebrow, Kaiba had to ask, "Are you asking me out on a date?"

"Yes," Yami said simply, as if it were truly as easy as that. "Interested?"

Rather than outright agreeing, Kaiba merely shrugged and replied, "I could eat."

Grinning in victory, Yami responded with an emphatic, "Good, I know exactly the place to go. You're driving."

"Why?"

"Because despite having a driver's license, thanks to you, I don't have a car and I don't _actually _know how to drive," Yami told him with another laugh.

"Fine," Kaiba conceded as he led the way out of the basement.

* * *

Once they were off the topic of emotions and feelings, the evening improved significantly, even if Kaiba was still sore about his loss from earlier. Kaiba begrudgingly had to admit that Yami was decent company—when he wasn't being a pushy son of a bitch. He might even dare say that he had enjoyed their dinner together, but he'd never admit such a thing to Yami, who would become infinitely smug over it. He had enjoyed talking tournament strategy with Yami and had to admire his abilities as a duelist; there was a reason he was the best, much as Kaiba hated to admit it.

It was hard to believe that they were already in front of the Game Shop. "You still live here with your grandfather?" Kaiba asked as he put the car into park.

"Yeah, it saves on rent and I can take care of him now that Yuugi's so busy with school," Yami explained, surprised there wasn't a note of judgment in Kaiba's voice. "Plus it's convenient to walk to the café from there."

It seemed a bit far to Kaiba, but he was used to driving everywhere. "Ah," was all he said, unsure of what else he could contribute to such a conversation.

He was startled when Yami leaned over and kissed him sensuously before murmuring, "Do you want to come in?"

"No," Kaiba declined, not wanting to risk being with Yami on his own turf; he could only imagine what that would mean.

Pouting at the brush off, Yami promised, "I won't do anything that you don't want me to."

"I don't believe you," Kaiba said with a rude snort. "Maybe another time."

"I'm holding you to that," Yami told Kaiba before kissing him once more.

Despite telling himself that he need to leave as soon as possible, Kaiba indulged in the kiss and deepened it. Even though he knew he shouldn't, Kaiba enjoyed it immensely as he explored the wet warmth of Yami's mouth. It just felt so agonizingly _right_ that he couldn't deny himself. It was already so addictive and it had only been a few hours since he had first indulged.

Resting one of his hands on Kaiba's thigh as he leaned closer, Yami persisted, "Come on, come inside."

"Not tonight," Kaiba once again refused, wondering if he would always have the strength—and want—to turn down Yami's obvious offer.

"If you're sure," Yami said in a resigned voice, not the least bit pleased that Kaiba wouldn't budge on the issue.

"I am," Kaiba firmly told him, needing the distance tonight; too much had already happened as it was.

Sighing in defeat, Yami conceded with a sad, "Okay," as he moved back to his side of the car. "We should do this again. I like seeing you outside of the café."

"I assumed we would," Kaiba dryly commented, knowing Yami would never be satisfied with one date. Besides, it had gone well enough that Kaiba wouldn't actually object too much over it, which was a startling revelation.

"Good," Yami said brightly before impishly stealing one last kiss. "I'll see you later, Kaiba."

"Night," Kaiba replied as Yami got out of his car. He waited until Yami was safely in the house before he pulled away to head homeward. _What a strange night_, he mused, although it wasn't all bad. Kaiba still didn't quite know where he stood with Yami, but for the moment it was okay enough. He could reflect later when he had the space and time for such things. With that thought, he started the drive home in a better state of mind.

* * *

**A/N: **Hey, a bonus two chapters in one since the second part was so short on its own. Progress all the way around, yeah?

**NEXT CHAPTER:**

_When had he become so corrupted? And why did it feel so right?_

The next update will be on, **Sunday, September 22nd** and we'll finally be getting into the reason this fic is rated M. Until then, I look forward to your reviews and comments, as always. Thank you so much for supporting me through this project and all my others! It really means the world to me.


	12. Chapter 12: Alone Time

**A/N:** This chapter features some **solo action** and a healthy dose of **sexual fantasizing**, so if those things make you uncomfortable, beware the road ahead, then.

* * *

**Chapter 12: Alone Time**

Stepping into his shower, Kaiba sighed loudly as the water washed over him, erasing the traces of a weird, stressful day away from him. It cleansed him of his defeat and of all the awkward emotional talk with Yami.

Yami. The problem his mind kept retuning to, the issue that his thoughts wouldn't leave alone. As much as he needed to think about what had happened between them, his mind kept coming back to the feeling of Yami's hand on his thigh and the pleading way he had asked Kaiba to come inside his house.

Kaiba had no doubts that they would have had sex if he had gone inside; Yami didn't seem bound by traditional rules of time and decency. He could easily picture the hungry way Yami would kiss him as he led the way upstairs, working off their clothes as they walked up to his room until they were both completely naked. "Aren't we moving a little fast?" Kaiba would have asked with an arched eyebrow.

Groping Kaiba's member, Yami would have countered, "Is that a complaint?"

"No," Kaiba would groan, having given himself over to the hormones and inevitable.

"We both knew we'd end up here," Yami would defend himself. "Why wait?"

Kaiba wouldn't have an acceptable argument for that, so he would simply kiss Yami into silence as they fumbled over to the bed. Yami would take out lube and hand it to Kaiba, who would simply stare at it. "What do you even have this for?" he'd ask.

"I had to properly explore my new body," Yami would impishly defend himself.

"That was ages ago!"

"I discovered it felt really good," he'd retort before taking back the bottle of lube and prepping himself, too impatient to wait for Kaiba to do the deed. Kaiba would watch in an uncomfortable mix of discomfort and interest at the process. Finally Yami would be ready, his legs spread welcomingly opened as Kaiba pinned him down to the bed with his much larger body.

He'd think…well, he wasn't sure what he would think, other than it felt good to be inside of Yami like that, strange as the concept was to him. How anyone could find it pleasurable was beyond Kaiba, but Yami would moan so beautifully for him, inspiring him to move.

Kaiba would build a rhythm, gradually picking up the pace as he became more into the experience. He'd be the quieter of the two, but enjoying it no less as they moved as one, becoming louder as they went, not caring who would hear.

Finally it would be too much and Kaiba would want to cum, find release into that slick warmth that was embracing him so tightly. Instead Kaiba came all over his hand, which brought him to awareness rather quickly. Flushing an embarrassed shade of red, Kaiba hadn't even realized he had been jerking off to his fantasy, let alone found it pleasurable enough to _actually_ cum.

Washing his seed from his hand, Kaiba felt mortified even though there was no one there to witness the humiliating lapse. _What has he done to me?_ Kaiba wondered as he hurried through the rest of his shower.

Something had to change, but Kaiba didn't know what to do. Yami was a problem with no solution and that was disquieting to Kaiba. He wasn't used to things being out of his control and Yami was definitely an element beyond him. It was infuriating, but there was the tiniest part of him that found it somewhat exciting, loathe as he was to admit it. His life had become somewhat predictable and it was a little refreshing to have something new in his life—even if it _was_ infuriating at times.

Turning off the water and getting out of the shower, Kaiba tried to put what just happened behind him. There was no point in thinking about it; it changed nothing. Thinking about Yami wouldn't give him any resolution, much as he might wish otherwise. So pushing Yami out of his mind, Kaiba tried to focus on himself instead. Getting into bed, he reached out for his cell phone on the nightstand and started to check his email and was surprised to see an email from Yami at the top of his inbox.

**Subject: Hey**

_I had a good time tonight. We should do it again some time_.

_Yami_

"What a pointless email," Kaiba muttered as he rolled his eyes. "Why bother?"

Still, something inside of him moved pleasantly at the email and Kaiba could only scowl at himself in response. "What's wrong with me?" Kaiba wondered, not for the first time that night. He was tired of that reaction, but he didn't know what else to do. It seemed to be a common theme and it was frustrating.

Kaiba recognized that a response was required, but he wasn't sure how to reply. It needed to be casual, but responsive. Every reply that Kaiba started to type, he immediately deleted as insufficient. Everything was coming out too casual or too formal and Kaiba couldn't find a happy medium. It was ridiculous, given how many emails a day he sent on a regular basis that he couldn't compose a single, quick email that sufficiently expressed himself. Then again, given how little he expressed himself in general, it was hardly surprising. Finally biting the bullet, Kaiba replied:

**Re: Subject: Hey**

_Just let me know when._

_Kaiba_

Sending it before he could change him mind and regret it, Kaiba exhaled deeply and tried not to think too hard about it.

The response was almost immediate and Kaiba arched his eyebrow as he read:

**Re: Re: Subject: Hey**

_What are you doing right now?_

_Yami_

"Regretting sending that email," Kaiba muttered as he tried to formulate a response.

**Re: Re: Re: Subject: Hey**

_Busy._

_Kaiba _

It was a safe answer, although not entirely truthful.

**Re: Re: Re: Re: Subject: Hey**

_Too busy for me?_

_Yami_

It felt like a trick question, like a skillfully placed trap card.

**Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Subject: Hey**

_Right now? Yes._

_Kaiba_

There was the slightest twinge of wrongness about sending that answer, but Kaiba swallowed down on it, doing his best to ignore the feeling.

**Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Subject: Hey**

_Pity, I could have made it worth your while._

_Yami_

The answer intrigued Kaiba and he immediately wrote back:

**Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Subject: Hey**

_Meaning?_

_Kaiba_

Waiting for an answer, Kaiba was disappointed when no response came back immediately. Minutes went by and there was still no answer. It made Kaiba feel antsy and he kept refreshing his phone, waiting for a reply.

Finally, an answer came through, although it was hardly satisfying.

**Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Subject: Hey**

_You'll find out later, if you're lucky._

_Yami_

Any further questions were ignored and it was frustrating. Kaiba wanted clarification, but he wasn't willing to beg for it. His mind was instantly transported to the perverse. He could imagine all the ways that Yami would have made it worth his while and most of them were perverse, pleasantly so. Oh so pleasantly so.

It was becoming a problem. A serious problem. Especially since his ideas were making him hard. Again. "What the hell?" he groaned as he rolled over and cast his phone aside on the sheets. When had he become so corrupted? And why did it feel so right?

* * *

**A/N:** Not much to add here, to moving right along…

**NEXT CHAPTER:**

"_It sounds like you need to unwind," Yami suggested with a playful look in his eyes that told Kaiba he knew exactly what to do about it._

The next chapter goes up on **Sunday, October 6th**, making me wonder how the hell we're almost in October. O_o;; This year is just flying by, wow. Until then, I look forward to your reviews and responses!


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